Surrey on track to set balanced budget

Public services in Surrey are facing huge financial pressures but the County Council is on track to set a balanced budget.

Surrey County Council’s draft budget, agreed at a Cabinet Meeting today, reflects the impact of inflation making services like highways maintenance, adult social care and children’s services much more costly to deliver.

But it also outlines vital investment in delivering things like specialist school places, supported living homes for elderly people, transport infrastructure projects and on-demand buses.

To be able to deliver essential services while still balancing the books, the council has also identified £55m of efficiencies and proposes an increase to council tax.

Further action will be needed to close the remaining gap of £13.5m, with the Local Government Finance Settlement due in December and final budget to be agreed in February 2024.

Tim Oliver, Leader of Surrey County Council, said: “We’re here for our residents, to ensure no one is left behind and to support the most vulnerable. We work to make Surrey a better place, through the wide range of services we’re responsible for and investing in our future.

“Our transformation over the last few years has given us a solid base, and is helping us weather the storms encircling local government and indeed the global economy.

“But things are not easy.

“Everything we do has become more expensive, with some areas seeing price increases even in excess of the rate of inflation.

“Demand for services is increasing. Other organisations are struggling. Public finances are stretched.

“We have to face up to these challenges, as we have done consistently, to set balanced budgets and fulfil our responsibilities.”

On the proposal to increase council tax, Cllr Oliver said: “We have to carefully balance the demands on residents’ personal budgets with our duties to deliver services to those who need us most.

“We know any rise in Council Tax is tough, but support is available to people who really need it.

“Last year we did not raise Council Tax by the maximum available as the cost of living was increasing sharply, and taken together with the proposed rise this year, Council Tax in Surrey has risen well below inflation.”

Looking ahead, the Council will continue to transform the way it works – including embracing technology to make services more effective, work more collaboratively with other partners in Surrey, focus on helping Surrey’s economy to grow in order to boost productivity and opportunity, and invest in prevention to ease demand on services in the longer term.

A consultation is launching on 28 November, running until 5 January 2024, for residents to look more closely at the proposed budget and give their views on any part of it.

Cllr Oliver added: “SCC is continually engaging with residents about a wide range of services and projects, and we take resident feedback on board when developing policy and making decisions.”

A final budget will be proposed at a full Council Meeting in February 2024, to take effect from April.

Notes:

Anyone can take part in the Draft Budget Consultation Survey via the Surrey Says Website here: Balancing Surrey County Council’s Budget 2024/25 Survey – Surrey County Council – Citizen Space (surreysays.co.uk)

Full report to Cabinet can be found here: Draft Budget Cabinet Cover Report.pdf (surreycc.gov.uk)

With additional reports and annexes on the main Cabinet meeting page here: Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 28 November 2023, 2.00 pm – Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)