Council sets out budget proposals

As well as freezing its share of Council tax, the Council has also set out a number of savings and significant growth and investment in a number of key areas.

This investment includes leisure, climate change, rural and environmental crime investigation, heritage and conservation, economic development, homelessness prevention, focus on young people, providing affordable homes and support for the armed services.

The Council continues to respond successfully to the challenge of reduced government funding and increased cost pressures through maximising the use of its assets, exploring commercial opportunities and generating income from a variety of sources.

Prudent saving over the years means the Council is able to use reserves to support frontline services to help keep taxes low. 

The Council has also benefited from growth across the district, such as new housing and businesses, through the New Homes Bonus and a 50 per cent share of new business rates respectively, which is able to be ploughed back into vital public services.

Subject to councillors’ agreement when they consider the budget report on 13 January 2020, residents will then be asked to have their say on the proposals.

Councillor James Hallam, Harborough District Council’s deputy leader and Cabinet member for finance, said: “We are very pleased to be proposing a balanced budget with extra investment – nearly £900,000 compared to last year – in areas which people have said are important to them. We are also proposing to freeze Council tax thanks, in part, to our focus on income generation.”

Harborough District Council will formally approve its budget proposals at the end of February 2020.

The overall Council tax bill is made up of a number of separate charges made by separate authorities – Leicestershire County Council, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Harborough District Council, and Parish Councils / Parish Meetings.

View the full Emerging Budget Position 2020/21 report on the Council’s website