RADICAL cost-saving plans to plug a £2.7 million funding gap in Wyre Forest District Council's budget left in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic are set to be finalised next week.

Cabinet members will discuss the final proposals for the Medium Term Financial Strategy, which includes increasing council tax, sharing services with other councils and selling all or parts of its headquarters at Wyre Forest House, on Tuesday, February 9.

The Progressive Alliance-led council says the plans are "challenging but achievable", however opposition members from the Conservative Group say the budget proposals "lack ambition" and will mean a reduction in services to residents.

Councillor Graham Ballinger, leader of the council, said: “Our budget proposals are challenging, but achievable. Our draft financial strategy will allow us to continue to recover from the unprecedented demands that 2020 placed on us, enable us to continue to provide the frontline services our residents need and prepare us for the demands we know we will face in coming years.

“Last autumn’s consultation showed widespread support for the proposals by the majority of those completing the survey, including the majority of residents saying they would be prepared to pay more council tax for district council services.

“Our recommendation is for an increase of £5 at Band D or 2.28 per cent for the district council’s portion of council tax, less than 10p extra a week.

"Wyre Forest District Council collects council tax on behalf of a range of public services - but only keeps 12p in every pound for its own services. We would like to go further if the government’s final settlement for local government allows it."

The council had already been facing a £1.7 million shortfall by 2022-23 before Covid-19 struck. Now, the funding gap is forecast to increase to £2.7 million by the end of 2023-24.

As well as a rise in council tax, the budget proposes to run services such as waste collection, grounds maintenance and elections in partnership with other local authorities.

It also suggests starting discussions with other neighbouring councils about developing a joint Local Plan, and launching a boundary commission review with a view to reducing the number of councillors by 2027. A full management review is also proposed for next year.

The authority intends to commission a full business case for its council house in Fine Point Way in order to dispose of the building entirely or divide it up so that the council would retain a small part of it and sell the rest.

Initial plans to scrap the Community Leadership Fund, which gives councillors an allowance to support local good causes, have been changed following a request from Labour members. The budget now proposes to phase out the fund gradually by 2023, giving the new Community Lottery a chance to expand in its place.

A further programme of phased savings of £0.8 million in 2021-22, £1.2 million the following year and £1.5 million the year after are also included in the budget.

Conservative Group leader Councillor Marcus Hart criticised the cost-cutting plans, saying: "We recognise that we are living in difficult financial times and there are challenges. However, we believe the Progressive Alliance’s budget as currently proposed lacks ambition and will mean a reduction in services to the residents of Wyre Forest.

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"Their proposals, in particular how they will grow income and how they will make savings are vague and lack transparency as they are mostly generic.

"The Conservative Group have set out a raft of proposals which clearly explain what we would do differently and how in order to achieve a balanced budget. We also preserve things that matter to residents, the community leadership fund, a small fund to support community cohesion and inclusion, investing in CCTV to catch fly tippers and investing in an environmental protection officer for a further period to tackle fly tipping and dog fouling issues.

"We would also have an immediate management restructure to reduce the cost of senior officers to protect frontline services.”

But Labour's Councillor Leigh Whitehouse said the authority's finances wouldn't be in such a position if the previous Tory administration hadn't frozen council tax.

Cllr Whitehouse said: “This is a really challenging budget, we need to be realistic and ensure the council’s finances are in the best shape possible moving forward thus protecting crucial services we all depend on.

"Whilst hindsight is a wonderful thing, had the previous Conservative administration raised council tax ever so slightly rather than freezing, the council wouldn’t be in this position.”

The Cabinet’s draft budget will ultimately be decided by full council at the annual budget setting meeting on Wednesday, February 24.