Council budget 2016 to 2017
Council Tax will once again be frozen at the current level.
However, we continue to face significant financial challenges and we are managing these in a planned way which we can maintain over the long term.
The grant we receive from the Scottish Government, which funds almost 80% of the net cost of our services, has decreased by 3.4% on a like-for-like basis with a reduction in excess of £10 million moving into 2016-2017.
Despite the financial challenges, we will deliver £149 million of investment over the next three years in key facilities including schools, roads, streetlighting and housing.
During 2016-2017 we are committing resources to further build on our commitments to invest in economic regeneration, local communities and to support the most vulnerable in Renfrewshire, including £7.5 million to support the delivery of a recreational town park, outdoor event space and regional sports facility; £1 million to enhance the provision of digital infrastructure in town centres; and investing £9 million in Adult Social Care Services to reduce the impact of assessed care charges on service users.
We will also work in partnership with social care providers to secure the payment of the Living Wage across all care staff providing services to Renfrewshire Council.
Looking ahead, we already know that we will continue to face more spending pressures and although the level of grant we will receive from the Scottish Government has not yet been confirmed, we are expecting our grant support to reduce further in 2017/2018 and the following years.
This means we will face significant ongoing financial challenges with a need to deliver further savings of up to £6 million by 2017/18. We will therefore need to continue to make difficult decisions and choices on how best to direct reducing resources to priority service areas.
Council spending in 2016/2017
How we work out Council Tax
| £ millions | |
|---|---|
| Gross spending | 426.795 |
| Less: Fees and charges | 44.813 |
| Net spending | 381.982 |
Net spending for each service
| Service | Net spending 2016/2017 (Capital charges) | Total net spending - including capital charges | Change from 2015/2016 - not including capital charges (%) | Band D equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ million | £ million | £ million | £ | |
| Education and Children | 185.647 (16.454) | 202.101 | 1.455 (1.2%) | 2,998 |
| Education | 149.673 (16.230) | 165.903 | 1.328 (0.9%) | 2,461 |
| Children's Services | 35.974 (0.224) | 36.198 | 0.127 (0.4%) | 537 |
| Leisure Services | 9.168 (2.509) | 11.677 | -0.373 (-3.9%) | 173 |
| Community Resources | 51.046 (7.125) | 58.171 | -0.519 (-1.0%) | 863 |
| Community Resources | 38.727 (2.491) | 41.218 | -0.401 (-1.0%) | 611 |
| Roads | 8.964 (4.634) | 13.598 | -0.118 (-1.3%) | 202 |
| Transport subsidies and concessionary fares | 3.355 (0.000) | 3.355 | 0.000 (0.0%) | 50 |
| Adult services | 60.320 (1.404) | 61.724 | 6.147 (11.3%) | 916 |
| Development and Housing | 9.729 (0.638) | 10.367 | 0.802 (9.0%) | 154 |
| Other Housing | 5.673 (0.000) | 5.673 | 1.114 (24.4%) | 84 |
| Planning | 4.056 (0.638) | 4.694 | -0.312 (-7.1%) | 70 |
| Other | 35.542 (3.872) | 39.414 | -0.770 (-2.1%) | 585 |
| Adjustment for financing charges | 0.000 (-1.472) | -1.472 | 0.000 (0.0%) | -22 |
| TOTAL NET SPENDING | 351.452 (30.530) | 381.982 | 6.742 (2.0%) | 5,667 |
| Financed by: | ||||
| a) Government grants | 207.365 | 3,076 | ||
| b) Non-domestic rates | 96.106 | 1,426 | ||
| Total amount needed from Council Tax | 78.511 | 1,165 |
Council Tax comparison with Scottish average
| Band D Council Tax | 2016/2017 | £1,165 |
| 2015/2016 | £1,165 | |
| Band D - Scottish average | 2016/2017 | £1,149 |
| 2015/2016 | £1,149 |
Comparison with the Government's provision for current spending for each household
Spending figure used by the Government in total external finance (Total Central Government support) calculations:
| Government grant | £5,453 |
| Our proposed spending (budget figure) | £5,667 |
Local authority employees
| Budgeted full-time equivalent | 2016/2017 | 6,484 |
| 2015/2016 | 6,640 | |
| Decrease | -156 | |
| % decrease | -2.3% |
Council tax charges
