£4 million cost of Covid in West Berkshire
Council reveals where they lost income due to the pandemic
Last updated 16th Apr 2021
West Berkshire Council has lost more than £4 million of income during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Around £2.4 million was lost when demand for council-run car parks plummeted during the national lockdowns.
The council was also forced to shut profit-generating leisure centres and libraries, unable to impose charges for various services and a number of elderly residents who paid to stay at its care homes died after contracting Covid-19.
A new council report shows the overall estimated loss is £4.4 million.
That includes £448,000 of lost leisure centre income and £209,000 that was lost because very few weddings have taken place at the council’s register office.
Another £17,465 was lost because the council was unable to fine parents who allow their children to miss school without a valid reason.
Council tax income is used to fund almost 70 per cent of services West Berkshire Council provides.
But the pandemic losses will not be covered by council tax, as the government has set up an income compensation scheme and provided the council with £9.6 million of emergency relief funding.
However, the council is still concerned about “changes in behaviour post Covid” as it expects less people to pay for parking at council-run car parks.
Earlier this year, West Berkshire Council said it is expecting to finish 2020/21 with £3.4 million to spare and that money will be transferred to the reserves.
The council, which is legally required to balance the books, announced it plans to spend £139 million on providing services in 2021/22 but will need to save £3.7 million.
Council leaders have outlined various plans to reduce the cost of the services, such as closing the run-down Walnut Close Care Home and moving residents and staff to other council care homes.
They say most of the changes will make the management of key council services more cost-effective but they won’t affect the quality of those services.
They also agreed to increase council tax by 1.99 per cent, which means the average Band D household will see their bill rise to £1,596.40 in 2020/21.