At its meeting last night (Tuesday 26 March) East Dunbartonshire Council agreed its Revenue Budget for 2024/25 and a revised 30-year Capital Investment Plan.
Council Leader Gordan Low commented on the measures taken to balance the books for the coming financial year, against the backdrop of continuing financial challenges facing local government and the wider public sector across the UK.
He said, “There is no doubt that setting the Council budget is an unenviable task with our funding position remaining phenomenally challenged. The role of our workforce has been central in terms of realising every possible saving and we continue to transform our services to ensure they are as efficient as possible. Fundamentally, we will do everything we can to protect the vital frontline services to our communities and to protect the jobs and the livelihoods of our workforce.”
Prior to Budget decisions, the estimated Council Budget for 2024/25 was just over £339.5 million with income forecast at just over £328.9 million. Significant work undertaken in the budget planning process revised the final funding gap for the year ahead to £9.253 million.
Councillor Low outlined the approach, “Firstly, I need to acknowledge and commend the significant efforts of Council officers in identifying in excess of £2.4 million in management and operational efficiencies to narrow the funding gap.
“In addressing the remaining gap we have reviewed our fees and charges and after research and benchmarking, we are bringing these in line with our comparators to generate much needed additional income.”
Further budget decisions to bridge the funding gap include agreement to return the enhanced cleaning provision introduced during the pandemic back to pre-Covid levels and to change residual waste only to a three-weekly cycle later this year. Collection frequency for recycling and garden waste will remain unchanged at two-weekly, and food waste will remain weekly.
Councillor Low continued, “We also agreed that we would review school crossing provision across the area, including the potential to provide additional mechanical crossings, and to bring recommendations back to a future Council. This approach is essential given that over 50% of our crossing patrol roles have been vacant for several years, despite repeated recruitment campaigns to fill them.”
Some budget decisions will take time to implement with full year savings not delivered until 2025/26, therefore it has been deemed prudent for the remaining in-year short-fall of £1.8 million in 2024/25 to be underwritten by reserves as a one-off cost.
The revised 30-year Capital Investment Plan was also agreed by Council.
Councillor Low explained the approach, saying, “With the ongoing challenging borrowing situation of high interest rates combined with exorbitant build costs, we’ve agreed to progress our current capital projects through the pre-construction phase which will allow officers to present more accurate projected build costs to Council for decision prior to entering into construction contracts.”
Projects progressing through the capital programme in the new financial year include:
- Twechar Outdoor Pursuits Centre – progressing to construction
- Replacement Lenzie Academy – progressing to statutory consultation
- New Hilton Recycling Centre – progressing with site plans
- Balmuildy Primary School – progressing through Planning and pre-construction
- Continuation of the Campsie Memorial Hall revitalisation project
- Bearsden PS and Milngavie PS progressing to Planning Board this Spring
- Bearsden Primary School – replacement roof and windows in advance of wider refurbishment.
In addition, new plans will now be developed for the replacement Westerton Primary School. Taking on board both feedback from the community through local engagement activity and a new opportunity to explore the purchase of additional adjacent land to the current primary school site, significantly improved plans for the original school site will now be progressed, which will be feasible with the additional space.
Councillor Low concluded, “There was agreement right across the Council chamber that this is the most challenging budget we have had to set. The decisions we have taken have been difficult and it is clear that there will be further difficult decisions ahead.
“We have also agreed to continue to make representation to Scottish and Westminster governments to seek additional funding for local government for the vital services we deliver and ensure our ongoing sustainability.”