Denbighshire is currently going through the budget setting process for 2012/13 and across Wales, all local authorities are tightening their belts for this, the second year of ever tighter spending.
Last year, we published an Efficiency Plan, which set out how the authority planned to find efficiencies of £6.4m. This year, we are looking at making savings in the region of £4m and we have now published an update to the plan to show what we have achieved so far.
We have been relatively fortunate in Denbighshire, receiving and increase in funding from the Welsh Government of 0.7% – but, this increase must be put in the wider context when, for example, inflation is now running at 5.2%, energy prices have increased by 18%+ p.a. – equal to £500k, Carbon Tax will cost an additional £200k, National Insurance contributions are to increase by £350k as well as other pressures which could have a major impact on the budget such as the Welsh Government’s requirement to increase funding to schools.
As a council, we are committed to becoming closer to our communities and we want to hear your views.
Join the Big Debate and tell us where you think we should be reigning back spending – or where you think we should specifically be concentrating our efforts to ensure residents get the service they want.
We will be running the consultation until 16 January, 2012 and your comments will be fed back to Councillors as they prepare to take the final decision on the draft budget in February.
Find us on Facebook at Denbighshire’s Big Debate or visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/thebigdebate or write to The Big Debate, Corporate Communications Department, County Hall, Wynnstay Road, Ruthin, LL15 1YN. Hard copies of the Efficiency Plan are available at all Libraries and One Stop Shops.
