Teignbridge Council approve £5 a year council tax increase
They also plan to freeze their allowances, which they hope will 'balance the books'
Councillors have voted to freeze their allowances as part of budget proposals for Teignbridge.
Monday’s full council meeting saw them approve a £5 a year council tax rise in the district, as well as proposals that would see rises of between 10p and 20p per tariff for the majority of car parks.
Increasing spending for climate change projects and to support the Council’s Teignbridge 100 programme – the commitment to build 100 additional affordable homes across the district, to boost the local economy and secure low cost homes for people unable to get on the housing ladder – are also included in the budget.
And it also earmarks funding against grants secured to deliver town centre investment and regeneration, delivering employment growth and boosting local business, including the provision of £9m of Government funding for Newton Abbot as part of the Future High Streets Fund.
But as part of the budget, described as one that ‘promotes a social and economic recovery and to balance the books’, it was proposed that the members allowance be frozen rather than them receive the usual cost of living increase.
"We are prioritising the right things for the majority of the residents and particularly the most vulnerable. This is a budget to promote social and economic recovery and balance the books.
"Through challenging times, this administration has produced a budget for the residents of Teignbridge and we are bringing forward the priorities of jobs, housing, and the environment.
"Working together, we can and will take Teignbridge into a green recovery and a sustainable place to work and live. We need to make sure we are prioritising the right things and proposing freezing of members’ allowances so that we do not receive the cost of living increase for members allowance and they will be frozen until 2022."
Cllr Richard Keeling - Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources
Cllr Alan Connett, leader of the council, added:
"This budget supports communities as best we can while trying to find time and space to balance our books. We believe in the three primary objectives to jobs for people, housing for people, and to tackle in our way, climate change."
But Cllr Phil Bullivant, leader of the Conservative group, said his group would be abstaining on the budget. He said:
"This budget contains major multi-pound million decisions that are based on a lack of financial and commercial awareness. It also has withdrawn plans to provide some of the local improvements already funded by developer contributions and cut the support to our local economy. For these reasons this budget fails the residents of Teignbridge."
He added that the alternative proposals he outlined would be built on a belief in the people and future of Teignbridge, would deliver the support to those who need it, help more people into quality homes, improve employment and make Teignbridge a better place to live and work.
However, councillors voted by 32 votes to 0, with 13 abstentions, in favour of the budget proposals, which will see council tax in Teignbridge is set to rise by 2.85 per cent or £5 to £180.17. This is the annual charge for an average band D property and the increase equates to less than 10p a week.
The capital programme as part of the budget also includes increasing jobs and homes through continuing support for housing whilst backing business and encouraging community-led planning, and work has already begun on the Teignbridge 100 affordable housing project at two sites in Newton Abbot.
Increased investment for climate change projects, including grant bids for low carbon heating and energy system improvements at leisure sites and further provisions the Carbon Action Plan, are also part of the budget, as is an infrastructure delivery plan investment contributing to improving education, transport links, sports and open spaces Regeneration investment, including two hotels in Teignmouth and Newton Abbot funded mainly from prudential borrowing.
And it also includes the in-principle funding offer from the Government Future High Street Fund for grant of £9.2 million aimed at improving town centres.
Although the Government said that the Council’s original proposals represented a strong value for money business case, it is only offering about two thirds of the funding requested by Teignbridge Council due to the Future High Street Fund being oversubscribed, and to get the £9.2m, scaled back plans have been submitted.
The scaled back plans will still transform the town centre into a more appealing place to visit, boosting footfall and local spending, and will also improve pedestrian and cycling access, but the proposals to put an extra deck of the Cricketfield Road car park have been dropped as the best way of meeting the Fund’s change criteria, staying within the allocated budget and delivering within the timeframe.
Executive member for business economy and tourism Cllr Nina Jeffries said:
"The scaled back proposals prioritise investment to boost economic activity, sustainable travel and air quality in the town.
"Even with the loss of spaces in Queen Street, there is sufficient parking within town centre car parks and so it is better to push forward with the other aspects of our plans which will encourage people to spend more time in town, boost business for local traders and make Newton Abbot a more attractive visitor destination."
In reviewing the options the Council considered removing the proposed new cinema plans or scaling back on all aspects of the proposals but was concerned that this would reduce the impact of the plans and not meet the Future High Street Fund goals of reshaping town centres to drive growth, improve experience and ensure sustainability.