Council Budget finalised for 2019/20

Date: 
Friday, 22 March, 2019


At its meeting last night (Thursday 21 March), the Council finalised its Revenue Budget for East Dunbartonshire for the coming financial year and a new and ambitious 10 Year Capital Programme.

The Council Tax rise of 3.95% agreed in February will deliver an estimated Council Tax income of just over £63.1 million pounds – an increased level of income from initial Council planning assumptions and this with the General Revenue Grant and income from non-domestic rates required a remaining funding gap of almost £6.3 million to be addressed.

Joint Council Leader Andrew Polson said, “Our funding gap is in the context of over £87 million pounds being removed from our budget over the last 10 years and our medium-term financial planning projections show that between this coming financial year and 2023 a further £41 million pounds in savings will be required.  Balancing the budget is a real challenge.

“However, in addition to bridging our funding gap, through efficiencies and cost reduction actions we have also incorporated an additional £200 thousand in transitional funding for the EDLC Trust, in part to support a review of cultural services in partnership with the Council, to include main and small libraries.

Joint Council Leader Vaughan Moody added, “We have also committed £60 thousand to update our Early Years Admissions policy, to ensure that all children can access Early Years provision immediately following their third Birthday, demonstrating our continued commitment to the expansion of Early Years provision. 

“Our Transformation Programme and demand management actions deliver savings of over £4.8 million – a substantial element of our budget gap and testament to the significant work carried out by our senior officers to ensure every efficiency is captured.  And this approach has no proposed service reduction or enforced job losses.” 

Further measures to address the funding gap included: increasing fees and charges by 4% to deliver additional income of just over £283 thousand pounds; a new model for the Care of Gardens scheme to account of the different scale of gardens serviced and increase income by an additional £30 thousand pounds/year and; the introduction of on-street parking charges in appropriate locations in town centres and an increase in off-street parking.  Whilst the parking changes will not deliver savings immediately as Traffic Regulation Orders would need to be progressed, it facilitates future income generation.

A revised 10 year capital programme was considered alongside the Revenue Budget.

Councillor Polson explained, “Whilst we remain constrained by our declining revenue budget, our ambitious and expanded capital programme delivers substantial new facilities across the area, including a commitment to build a new  £30 million Boclair Academy to begin construction next year.”

And Councillor Moody added, “Our enhanced capital programme also brings forward the construction of a replacement £33 million Allander Leisure Centre to next year, and completes both our primary schools pitch upgrade programme and the Lenzie Academy pitch upgrade in this coming financial year.”

Further highlights of the capital programme include: 

  • The previously agreed £23 million state of the art Additional Support Needs School in Kirkintilloch, which is now progressing
  • New Early Years facilities in the former St Joseph’s Primary School in Milngavie, Brookwood Library & Villa in Bearsden and Southbank Road in Kirkintilloch
  • £2 million pounds for Bishopbriggs Town Centre Public Realm
  • £335 thousand pounds for further works in Kirkintilloch Town Centre
  • A ‘Place and Area’ budget of £2.4 million pounds that will deliver a new 3G pitch and extended pavilion in High Park Lennoxtown, in line with the emerging Place Plan
  • £3.5 million pounds to redevelop Southbank House as part of the Council’s office campus approach in it’s accommodation strategy
  • Over £3 million pounds for Milngavie Hub, beginning in 2020 after further engagement
  • An additional roads investment budget of £1.75 million

Councillor Polson concluded, “Our approach to balancing the revenue budget was a balance between budget reduction measures, increased income generation and appropriate use of our reserves.Complimenting this with our expanded capital programme truly delivers the best for the people of East Dunbartonshire.”

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