Croydon’s cabinet approves budget to protect priority services

Croydon’s cabinet has voted to protect priority services and to invest in the borough’s future with a typical 47p-a-week rise in council tax, based on a Band D property.

The small increase will protect those services that are most important to residents; keeping the streets clean and safe, maintaining educational standards, protecting local libraries, and looking after the most vulnerable in the community.

The budget will ensure, over the next four years, more can be invested in building schools and youth facilities, creating affordable homes for local people, and delivering major regeneration projects such as the Fairfield Halls and a new leisure centre for New Addington.

The cabinet also agreed to add a 3% government adult social care precept of 70p per week, per band D household. This can only be spent on services for vulnerable adults and the elderly.

 

“We’re sure residents will agree this is a very strong and prudent budget, allowing us to protect and provide those services that matter most to them. It also means we can continue to invest in the long term future of our borough. We want to make sure our most vulnerable residents continue to be looked after, and that’s why we are also going to collect the government’s adult social care precept.

“The fact we’ve been able to do this against a backdrop of drastic cuts, where we’ve seen over half our central government funding cut, shows we’ve a tight control on our finances. Value for money is at the heart of everything we do.”

Councillor Tony Newman, leader of the council

 

Council tax bills will also include the Greater London Authority precept, which is proposed to increase by 8p per week per band D property to fund more local police officers.

In total this will add £1.25 to the typical weekly band D bill.

The recommendations will now go for approval at full council on Monday, 27 February.

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