Last week the North Herts Councilโs 2023/2024 budget was approved by councillors at a Full Council meeting on Thursday 23 February.
By installing solar panels on leisure centres and other projects the council is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030.
โWe know lots of people are struggling with the ongoing cost of living crisis and inflation. As a council, we too have to work hard to balance the books. Weโve looked closely at where we can make savings, and sensibly spend some of our reserves so that we can maintain our key services, deliver some extra support to you, and invest in the district with our larger capital projects. But the impact of inflation and energy costs on our budget cannot be underplayed, along with our continuing recovery from the pandemic. Weโre increasing Council Tax โ at a rate significantly below inflation – to protect essential services and deliver the things youโve told us matter most to you.โ
Cllrย Elizabethย Dennis-Harburg, Leader of the Council
The Budget
The budget includes:
- ยฃ250k to renovate the skatepark at King George V Recreation Ground in Hitchin
- ยฃ100k to renovate and update the skatepark at Newmarket Road in Royston and improve access
- ยฃ20k for an extension of the Outdoor Pool season at Letchworth for a further year
- ยฃ720k for solar panels at North Herts Leisure Centre in Letchworth, Royston Leisure Centre and Hitchin Swim Centre to reduce carbon emissions and save money
- ยฃ50k additional funding for one year to support the work of North Herts CVS, North Herts Minority Ethnic Forum and Citizens Advice
- ยฃ30k over three years to support the extension of the Chiltern Area of Outstanding National Beauty
- ยฃ100k for the creation of a Community Wealth Fund which will be open to bids from local groups for projects that have a sustainable and measurable impact on the local area
- ยฃ400k for the refurbishment of Charnwood, the former Museum site, into a community hub
- Funding for CCTV camera replacement
North Herts council tax
To help pay for this spending Council tax will increase in North Herts by 2.99%. However North Herts council is introducing a new Council Tax Reduction Scheme from 01 April 2023, which means that the lowest income households in the district will not need to pay anything at all.
Ian Albert Executive Member for Finance at North Herts Council said: โI am proud of what this Labour and Liberal Democrat joint administration has achieved collectively for residents since we took control in 2019. In the face of the pandemic and then the cost of living crises, we have been able to invest in our key services to support our residents through this difficult time.โ
โOur budget sets us on track for a District where we will continue to put people first, deliver sustainable services, and enable a brighter and greener future together.โ
Final thought
As last weekโs publishing of the Penn Report into Croydon Councilโs problems shows, the running of council finances can go badly wrong. It is encouraging that despite austerity, despite inflation North Herts can still invest in their net zero goal and provide recreational facilities for their residents.
Photo Credit: Jack1956