2012/13 Budget consultation and webcasts
Budget agreed
Liverpool City Council has approved a budget for 2012/13 which will see council tax frozen next year.
The majority of council tax payers who live in Band A properties (around 60 percent) will continue to pay £872.09 for local authority services but the amount they pay will rise because of increases in precepts and levies for police, fire, transport and waste services.
The council tax rates for each band are:
| Band | Council tax | Amount payable (including precepts) |
|---|---|---|
| A | £872.09 | £1,017.41 |
| B | £1,017.44 | £1,186.98 |
| C | £1,162.79 | £1,356.55 |
| D | £1,308.14 | £1,526.12 |
| E | £1,598.84 | £1,865.26 |
| F | £1,889.54 | £2,204.40 |
| G | £2,180.23 | £2,543.53 |
| H | £2,616.28 | £3,052.24 |
About £50m worth of savings had to be found, equivalent to around £190 per household.
Council Leader Joe Anderson said: “It’s been another really tough year for the city council as we have had to deal with huge cuts to our budget from central government.
“On top of the £91million last year, we have suffered another £50million cut this year. The services we provide to the city have been seriously affected but we have done everything possible to shield the most vulnerable people in the city.
“The government has levied the biggest cuts on Liverpool – which has the greatest needs and poverty of anywhere in the country.
“We have found ways of avoiding making some of the most unpalatable cuts which we thought we may be forced to make. We have retained school uniform grants, kept our children’s centres open and not cut services for mental health.
“It shows how badly the government cuts have affected the city that we had even to consider this type of saving.
“But despite the huge problems we face we still have great confidence in the city. The City Deal which we have negotiated will bring in at least £130m for schools and big regeneration projects. The cruise liner terminal will bring enormous economic benefits to the city and the approval of the £5.5 billion Liverpool Waters heralds a new era in the regeneration of Liverpool.”
Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet member for Finance, Councillor Paul Brant, said: “This has been an exceptionally difficult budget to set as once again, despite Liverpool being recognised as having the most need of any area in the country, we have had to face the highest level off cuts.
“We want to protect hard-pressed families so we are freezing council tax and wherever possible we have protected essential frontline services.
“For this budget we have worked in a new, and open transparent manner and the contributions made by residents, businesses and the voluntary sector has helped shaped the budget and it is better for it.
“We are now determined to find new ways of working which will see Liverpool as a responsible and caring city which is undergoing massive regeneration. “
The savings have been made through a range of measures, including:
- About £20 million from updating financial planning assumptions and reducing the amount of money set aside for emergencies and liabilities.
- A review of the running of 26 Children’s Centres, but each Centre will still provide core services.
- Substantial amounts of funding will still be provided in adult social care to support the most vulnerable people to live at home or in supported accommodation.
- Streamlining teams that deliver major development projects and combining the culture and tourism services.
- Introducing charges for advice provided to developers before they submit a planning application.
The council estimates it will need to find a further £21.6 million in 2013-14 and £39.3 million in 2014-15. A further £45.6 million will have to be found between 2015 and 2017.
Read more information about the meeting, and the budget reports.