Council to vote on Budget which includes maximum tax increase and new school uniform fund

The Labour run-authority has put forward a financial plan which includes a maximum council tax increase of £4.99% as part of efforts to tackle an expected £23.3m shortfall during the next financial year.

The hike, which includes an addition of 2% to support social care costs, equates to an annual increase of £89.90 (£1.72 per week) for households in Band D.

The move is expected to raise £9.7m of additional income for the Labour-run authority.

Other proposals include making £11.5m of “service efficiencies and savings” across several departments.

A report to councillors said: “The council has a legal duty to set a balanced budget and therefore needs to identify additional income and/or savings proposals to the same amount.”

Council leaders have also proposed spending an additional £9m on adult social care and £5m on children and young people due to both services facing “record levels” of demand.

Plans are also in place to create a £4.3m fund to help with the cost of school uniforms and to provide one-off winter fuel payments for some pensioners.

The authority said the new District Investment Fund would also help teenagers access training and education and to address a shortage of local childcare provision.

The fund would be created from a share of profits following the winding up of Bridge Homes, an affordable housing project which the council operated as a joint venture with Vico Homes for more than a decade.

Around £2m of support would be given to local families with school age children to help with the cost of school uniforms.

Pension-aged residents in receipt of council tax support would receive a one-off £100 winter fuel payment, at an overall cost of £500,000.

A total of £100,000 would be used to support 16 to 18 year-old to access training and education, while £40,000 would be used to “respond to a shortage of accessible childcare provision.”

Around £620,000 of the funding would go towards making “activity more accessible” for 16 to 24-year-olds by providing free memberships at council-run leisure centres.

A further £110,000 would be used to fund police staff and two enforcement officer posts to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour

If the Budget is approved, it would be the fourth consecutive year that council tax across the district has risen by the maximum permitted amount.

The amount paid by Band D householders would likely remain the lowest out of the five West Yorkshire local areas.

Council leader Denise Jeffery previously said: “Our responsible and long-term leadership means that we are able to produce a balanced approach to our budget setting process this year.”

Council deputy leader Jack Hemingway said: “We’re protecting our frontline services and investing in the things that matter most.

“The only way to do that sustainably is to balance being more efficient, raising income, and increasing support where there is rising demand for key services.

“Any other approach would be deeply irresponsible.

Councillors are due to begin debating the proposals at 2pm.