SOUTH Gloucestershire Council is asking residents to give their views on the “unpopular choices” it faces in order to balance its books in future years.
Cost-cutting plans to axe the upkeep of public toilets and playing fields, raise council tax by more than the current maximum of 4.99% and increase garden waste collection fees by 17% are among measures the authority says it faces in the future to plug a looming £16 million hole in its finances.
The council is running a public consultation into its annual budget proposals.
It says it “has a fundamental budget problem – our costs are increasing at a far greater rate than our income”.
Among the immediate proposals is increasing garden waste collection charges from £60 to £70. Charged doubled from £30 in the last council budget, with residents told that in future they would go up only by the rate of inflation.
The council is also asking residents what they think about a possible rise in council tax above the current 5% cap – including 2% for social care – if the law is changed to allow higher increases without a local referendum.
Each extra percentage rise represents another £1.9m to spend.
The council says that in future, it is “likely to have to withdraw funding from delivering discretionary services…such as public conveniences, playing fields and other open spaces” and will explore the possibility of handing more of their upkeep to parish councils or voluntary organisations.
Other money-saving measures include selling or renting out property it owns and using technology to interact with residents and in social care.
Council leader Maggie Tyrrell said: “Over recent years, we’ve needed to spend more and more providing direct support to the most vulnerable people in our society.”
This year, she said, that will add up to £134.3m, or 44% of the budget, on adult social care for older people, disabled people and people with learning disabilities, and a further £52.1m, or 17%, on children’s social care, including fostering and support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Cllr Tyrell, head of the joint Liberal Democrat/Labour administration that took charge in May 2023, said the increased demand coupled with “year-on-year cuts” to central government funding have put “unsustainable pressure” on council finances.
She said the council can balance its budget for the next two years using its reserves, but “the longer-term picture looks less certain” – and in four years’ time it faces a £16m shortfall unless it takes action.
Cllr Tyrrell said: “We want to be open and honest with you – there are no longer any ‘easy’ savings to be made.
“The difficult decisions we’re talking about will mean pain for local people, for our staff and for the partners we work with.
“None of these are decisions we want to take, but we must face up to the financial reality.”
The consultation is open until January 8 and can be found online at budget2025.commonplace.is.
Anyone who is not online can call 01454 868009 for help.
The results will be included in a report to the council before it sets its 2025/26 budget in February.
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service