06 Feb Conservative Thurrock Council Achieves Balanced Budget for the next 2 years
Thurrock has taken its own share of funding reductions to its part in reducing the national deficit from £165bn to £45bn following years of Labour’s excessive public borrowing.
However, Conservative run Thurrock is setting a balanced budget for the next two and a half years, an in-year surplus of £2.3m in 2017/18, and is increasing its general reserve by 38%, all without taking advantage of a 2.99% general tax increase.
There have been no top-down cuts to services – but real service reform only possible due to Thurrock Conservatives’ economic plan.
The grant-funding deficit has been closed through a Council Spending Review – a bottom-up look at the way services are run and funded; ensuring market parity in what the council charges; and an investment strategy which secures a sound rate of return.
The Conservatives are driving a house building delivery vehicle, which will build homes on brownfield sites, and provide an income to the council’s treasury.
Cllr Shane Hebb, Thurrock’s Cabinet Member for Finance recalls: “Local government has never been affluent, and always made claim that the demands of it outweigh the cash available to deliver – well before 2010!”
“For context, neighbouring Basildon Council approved a 2017/18 budget for Borough Council services of £25.5m. Conservative Thurrock is now spending over half of Basildon’s entire yearly revenue budget on CLEANING the borough, CUTTING the grass, and FILLING potholes.
Every penny of the £2.3m will be spent on the front-line, and in addition to “Clean It, Cut It, Fill It” campaign, they will spend an extra quarter of a million on fighting anti-social behaviour.
