Cotswold District Council Budget 2012

Council Tax, Car Parking & Green Bin Charges

******All Frozen for 3 Years******

kerbside collection of bottles and other rigid plastics coming soon

Cotswold District Council has approved plans for the 2012-13 Financial Year which will see a freeze in Council tax for the second year running, no price rises in parking charges or green waste collections for the next three years, and the introduction of kerbside recycling of all rigid plastics across the district for the very first time.

A Budget for the Cotswolds

Overall, the Conservative led Council will be making cuts to its budget worth £850,000 but there will be no reduction at all to frontline services. Quite the opposite in fact.

At its budget setting meeting on 28 February, the Council voted to make the £850,000 savings required for 2012-13 while still delivering enhancements to several services.

Councillor John Burgess explained: "We have succeeded in meeting this kind of challenge in the past and we believe we can rise to the occasion again.

I am particularly pleased that we are able to freeze Council Tax for a second year in a row, thanks in part to a one-off central government grant of almost £140,000, and we’ve also made a commitment that Council Tax will remain at this same level during 2013-14 and 2014-15."

A Three Year Freeze on Parking Charges

There’s also welcome news for shoppers and those who work in Cirencester and The Cotswolds – there will be no price increases in our car parks across the district for at least the next three years.

Plastic Bottle Collections and More

Commenting on the introduction of rigid plastic collections, John said: “This is a great step forward for the district and will follow on from the launch of Ubico Ltd, our local authority environmental services company. This is a joint initiative with Cheltenham Borough Council which comes into being this year.

We will be recycling all rigid plastics – not just bottles as originally proposed - and will maintain our position as one of the top recycling authorities in the country.

We have also decided that the price of green wheelie bins will be frozen for three years at least and the cost will continue to be £30 per year which is a real bargain."

Pay less each month

If you are paying Council Tax or Business Rates you will be given the option to pay over the current 10 month period or over 12 months at no extra cost.
 

Kingshill Meadow Country Park


We think this is a great new facility for the town and for Beeches Residents in particuar.

Not only is there a new footbridge and cycle route over to Tesco but a whole new Country Park with its wildlife margins, community orchard, keep fit trail and plenty of litter bins and dog bins.

Lots of benches too, so it's the ideal place for relaxation and walking the dog or sitting and letting the world go by.

A temporary path takes you from the bottom of North Home Road to the new park.

Looking back towards the new footway and cycle bridge

The new bridge is a bonus and did not form part of the original plans at all.
When this was considered by the Planning Committee at CDC, we went along and successfully made the case for a footpath and cycle bridge.
A strong argument was that the proposed surface level crossing was an accident waiting to happen.
The new bridge leads from Kingshill to Kingsmeadow
 

Good News from the County Council

Council tax frozen yet again in 2012

Thanks to the Conservatives, for the second year running, there will be no rise in Council Tax at Gloucestershire County Council and the Police Authority have followed suit. At its February meeting the authority agreed to a Council Tax freeze, despite vocal opposition from the Liberal Democrats and Labour.

This year's freeze compares to an average council tax rise of 8% each year when Labour and the Liberal Democrats ran the County Council. In just one year they put up council tax by over 13% which is more than the Conservatives have done in five years.

Despite the Council Tax freeze and tough government savings, the budget still protects the most vulnerable people in Gloucestershire. There are no reductions in the money that helps care for older people or which helps detect and stop child abuse.

Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, proposed the move and, speaking after the meeting John Burgess and Peter Braidwood agreed: "Hard pressed families in Gloucestershire just can't afford tax rise after tax rise. We've pout together a responsible budget that protects the most vulnerable people in the county, but which also keeps Council Tax under control."

£100m+ boost for Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire County Council has announced a massive package of support to help Gloucestershire's economy, to keep jobs in the county and to help young people find work. The Grow Gloucestershire campaign puts together council money and support from Government and the private sector into a £100m package to show that Gloucestershire is very much open for business.

We make no apology for fighting for Gloucestershire jobs and Gloucestershire businesses. The council must do its part to protect and grow jobs in the county - particularly for young people.

The package includes significant Government backed infrastructure projects, such as improving Gloucestershire's main rail link, a major roll out of super fast broadband across the county and support for young people with a £1m opportunity fund, a skills summit and 25 new council apprenticeships.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats voted solidly against these proposals as well at Gloucestershire's full council meeting in February.

70% recycling – Could Gloucestershire have the Highest in Europe?

Ambitious plane have been unveiled that could see Gloucestershire becoming one of the greenest places to live in Europe - whils helping to save money for the taxpayer. Gloucestershire County Council has unveiled its targets to boost recycling levels to 60% by 2020 and to 70% bt 2030. That will give Gloucestershire one of the highest recycling rates anywhere in the world. Remember how it used to be - we inherited a miserly 24% recycling rate from the old Labour / Liberalo Democrat council.

At the same time, plans will see the amount of rubbish sent to landfill dramatically cut. High European landfill taxes and a shortage of sites mean that it isn't an option for the future. Instead the council is proposing to build a state of the art incinerator alongside the M5 motorway at Javelin Park to the south of Gloucester. This plant will only deal with Gloucestershire's waste that can't be recycled. Operated to strict European standards it will mean that unrecyclable waste will be safely and cleanly disposed of whilst producing electricity and heat.

John Burgess and Peter Braidwood welcomed the plans. They said: "Rubbish is already a huge cost to the council taxpayer - and if we don't do something quickly it will become a massive cost. More recycling, less landfill and a clean modern energy from waste plant won't just save the council money - which is a good thing - it will help us protect the environment in Gloucestershire well into the future."

For more information on recycling in Gloucestershire, or about the council's residual waste plane, visit: www.recycleforgloucestershire.com

Protecting Gloucestershire’s most vulnerable residents

One of Gloucestershire County Council's most improtant roles is protecting older and vulnerable people. This year's County Council Budget specifically protects the money that is earmarked to support them - even as councils elsewhere in the country are making cuts.

In the last year the council helped over 17,000 people stay in their own homes and supports another 3,300 in care homes across the county. It is a huge task and represents more than half of the council's whole budget. For people who need high levels of support, for example those with limited movement or severe dementia, it can cost as much as £2,000 a week to support each individual.

We do not intend to let them down.
 

Gloucestershire Pledges Support to

our Armed Forces


covenant-2021.jpg - 78.17 Kb


Representatives from across Gloucestershire have pledged their support for the Armed Forces at a ceremony in Shire Hall in February 2012.

More than 10 public sector organisations including Gloucestershire County Council, the six district councils, NHS and police as well as representatives from the voluntary sector signed the Local Armed Forces Community Covenant.

Members of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and the Allied Rapid Response Corps also attended the event to sign the covenant.

The covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local Armed Forces Community.

Its aim is to:

  • Encourage local communities to support the armed forces
    community in their areas, and vice versa
  • Promote understanding and awareness among the public
    of issues affecting the armed forces community
  • Recognise and remember the sacrifices made by the
    armed forces community
  • Encourage activities which help to integrate the
    armed forces community into local life.

Signing the covenant also unlocks funding to help support Armed Forces families.

The Ministry of Defence has made £30 million of grant funding available to support local projects which aim to improve ties between the armed forces and the wider community.

Gloucestershire County Council will now be encouraging groups to come forward and bid for funding to support their work with forces communities, from projects encouraging integration, to education and activities that remember those who lost their lives.

You can find out how to apply by visiting www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/armedforces.