Residents invited to have their say on Forest of Dean District Council budget | |||||||
Forest of Dean District Council invites residents, businesses, and organisations across the district to give their views on the Council’s spending plans, with a consultation for the budget for the next financial year beginning 22nd December 2023 and running until 19th January 2024. | |||||||
Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Andy Moore, said: “We have seen significant cuts to our budget and expect these Government cuts to carry on through the coming years, but we are committed to continuing to deliver a high-quality service for all our residents across the Forest of Dean. “Having recently been audited, we’re in a strong financial position and though we’re starting from a healthy place, funding remains a challenge. As part of the Council’s careful management of finances, we have improved the efficiency of our services and were able to save over £608,000 in 2023/2024 and are predicting to save more than £581,000 in 2024/2025. We were also one of only three councils across the country to complete the audit in the required time period, once again showing how well financial services are managed at Forest of Dean District Council. “As part of our budget plans we are proposing that we continue to work towards our goal of taking effective action in response to the climate emergency, as well as ensuring that affordable housing is available in the Forest of Dean for the people who need it most. We also want to continue to help our local community groups to continue to provide fantastic services for residents and ensure that services such as our street warden and waste teams continue to operate effectively. “This consultation is your chance to share your opinion and ask questions about the proposed budget for 2024/25. If you would like to have your say, please head to our website where you can find all the information you need.” Forest of Dean District Council is responsible for a number of local services such as waste collection, planning, licensing, housing, parking, and leisure with the county council delivering other services such as maintaining roads, adult social care, education, children’s services, and public health. The District Council receives only 9% of the total council tax bill residents pay, which is split between the district council, county council, police, and fire service. Residents can see the exact split in their council tax bill. To view the Council’s proposal for the 2024/25 budget, visit: https://fdean.gov.uk/budget As well as continuing to provide its services, the Council will also be supporting the Forest of Dean Levelling Up projects, with the regeneration of Five Acres, the new enterprise education facility at Hartpury University and College and the regeneration and redevelopment of facilities in Cinderford. To pay for the budget the Council is proposing to raise council tax by under 12p a week for a band D property. If residents or businesses would like to share their views on the budget proposal, or have any questions, they can email Andrew Knott, Chief Finance (S151) Officer for the Forest of Dean District Council – section151@fdean.gov.uk. The deadline to respond to the consultation is 19th January 2024. Due to rising costs and the financial challenges at this time, there may be residents who require assistance at this difficult time. Residents who would like to discuss the support available can visit the Council’s website at the link below, or call the customer services team to find out more about the Council Tax Support Scheme. https://www.fdean.gov.uk/council-tax-and-benefits/council-tax-support/ | |||||||
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