Blackpool council tax hike to hit households as budget set to be slashed by £16m

Households in Blackpool are facing a five per cent rise in council tax for the second year running as town hall leaders are set to cut another £16m from the budget.

Around 50 jobs will be lost in order to balance the books in the next financial year (2024/25) but these will mainly be through a recruitment freeze on vacant posts, with only a handful of compulsory redundancies expected. Pressures include increases in demand for social care including higher costs to meet the real minimum wage, the cost of school transport for children with additional needs, tackling homelessness and the impact of inflation.

Blackpool Council will receive an extra £2m from a £500m national funding boost for councils to help fund social care. However, it says since 2010 its central government funding has reduced by £218m equating to a real terms cut of 25 per cent.

But there are no cuts planned to services including libraries, parks, street cleansing and leisure centres. The Illuminations and free events programme is protected, while the free school breakfast scheme will continue into its 11th year and there will be extra investment in youth services.

The resort’s ambitious regeneration programme will also proceed as planned. Council leader Coun Lynn Williams said: “Despite the lack of funding for local authorities and the level of cuts we have faced here in Blackpool, we are still investing in the things that mean the most to our residents.

“We are making it a priority to protect services such as libraries, parks, leisure centres, public protection and waste. We will also continue to deliver all of the free events that our residents enjoy and provide a huge boost to our economy.”

The resort’s ambitious regeneration programme will also proceed as planned

However, residents will be asked to pay an extra £5 for their garden rubbish collections (up to £45), while ward budgets are being cut to £13,000 from £14,000. This year’s cuts compare to £23m last year, but the council is not proposing to dig into its reserves after using £10m from them for the current budget.

Revenue from the council’s companies, which include the Winter Gardens and Blackpool Transport, has contributed to a £2.8m contribution towards funding services thanks to improved performances.

The biggest chunk of council spending goes on social care and savings of £2.5m are being made in children’s services largely by reducing the number of children in expensive out-of-town residential care.

This is being replaced by extending the foster care capacity and work to safely keep more families together.

Coun Williams said: “We are seeing some positive outcomes in children’s services with a steady reduction of the number of children in care. Evidence shows us that when we can keep families together, it this has a lifelong

positive impact on their outcomes and opportunities.”

Savings of almost £5m will be made in adult social care including from streamlining some allowances and service delivery.

Coun Williams warned: “This year, the number of staff placed at risk is in single figures. However, freezing or removing vacant posts will undoubtedly have an impact on the remaining workforce and the level of service that we are able to provide.”

The Council’s executive will discuss the budget proposals on Monday, February 5.