Calderdale Council plans council tax rise and cutbacks to Victoria Theatre investment in budget
There could be rises in some charges for removing bulky waste and garden waste.
Last updated 15th Jan 2025
A Council Tax rise, cuts and charges are being recommended to Calderdale councillors as they consider setting their budget for 2025-26.
Senior councillors unveiled a suite of proposals at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet including an almost five per cent rise in Council Tax, some reductions in services and rises in some charges including for removing bulky waste and garden waste.
Further increases, depending on conclusions reached in an ongoing review of each Calderdale town, are likely for parking too.
But not all charge increases will fall on residents, with proposals to start charging any works promoter digging up the roads for the days these occupy the highway.
Leader of Calderdale Council, Coun Jane Scullion, presenting the proposed budget to Cabinet, said high costs of providing social care, a continuing legacy from Covid and high inflation had taken a toll but the council remains ambitious.
This being committed to building a new leisure centre on the site of the old one at North Bridge, Halifax, where costs had been brought down and redesign work done, with the council now awaiting quotes from contractors for elements of the work.
Coun Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) says 2024-25 had been a difficult year where although savings targets had been met these were outstripped by rising demand for social care packages for all ages which councils legally have to provide and now account for 70 per cent of the authority’s day-to-day spending.
But an uplift in support from the new Labour government, following rebalancing how much support funding councils get, has seen Calderdale awarded a 7.4 per cent increase in its base funding, higher than the six per cent average nationally.
This means that while Calderdale was looking at having to make savings of around £10 million next year, that has reduced to £3 million.
Budget proposals are now open for consultation and all councillors will set a balanced budget, which they have to do legally, when they meet on February 24.
If accepted they will mean the maximum Council Tax rise allowed without recourse to a referendum, 2.99 per cent plus an additional two per cent ring-fenced to help offset social care costs.
To save £3 million Cabinet are recommending reviewing level of social care need to reduce cost of packages and focusing services on what it statutorily has to provide including over mental health provision.
Targeted youth work will be reduced and some support for providers of wrap-around childcare and out-of-school or holiday care for children with special needs and disabilities will crease, if proposals are adopted.
Register office fees (by ten per cent), garden (an extra £10) and bulky waste (initial charge retained at £25 but lower number of items and then a £5 charge for each additional item) charges and eventually some “targeted” parking charges will go up.
Across the council there will be some job losses, but the aim is to achieve these by not filling vacant posts and by retirement or reductions to part time working, say senior councillors.
Smarter working across the council including maximum use of technology should save income.
If approved, the budget looks to “one-off” use of discretionary funds, for example some specific from planning, to reduce pressure on road maintenance in the short term, releasing money for day-to-day maintenance.
Reductions in investment to Shibden Hall, Halifax, and the town’s Victoria Theatre are proposed, but senior councillors say these are possible because of their success, more visitors in visitor numbers to the former expected to bring in more income and more seats sold at the latter meaning they do not need as much support.
There will be less money for new library books in the short term, with a temporary reduction for two years to the fund used to buy these, Cabinet heard.
Coun Scullion said it had been a hard year but the proposed budget was a “transitional” one with some proposals also looking to the medium term.
While it was disappointing to only get a one-year settlement from the new Government it was accepted after 14 years of erosion to local government finances that change would not happen overnight.
The proposals also look to strengthen the council’s reserves, by £1 million in 2026-27 and £2.8 million further in 2027-28.
Where more councils have been in the news because of their financial situation, some declaring effective bankruptcy by issuing a section 114 notice or having levels of control imposed on them, Calderdale remained rated a good council by external assessors and auditors.
It had been a difficult year but the council remained ambitious for the future, said Coun Scullion.
“We are clear we don’t want to go bankrupt and don’t want to borrow money to pay everyday bills – we want decisions to be taken locally here in Calderdale,” she said.
People can see the proposals on the council’s website and Coun Scullion welcomed as many people giving their input on them as possible.