Clackmannanshire Council Online

Council sets ambitious budget for 2012/13

Clackmannanshire Council announced today that it is freezing council tax for the fifth year maintaining bills at 2007/08 levels.

The Council's expenditure will be £120.5 million over the year ahead. Savings of £1.9 million have been identified through a package of efficiency measures.

Paid for school meals will remain at the same price as they have done for the last eight years. Funding has also been set aside, pending the outcome of the ongoing review into the provision of public toilets in Alloa town centre.

Council Leader Gary Womersley said: "This is my first budget as Council Leader and I am delighted to say that we are delivering a wide-range of initiatives that I believe will make a difference to the people of Clackmannanshire. We have less money, but we are going to deliver more, while also setting down solid foundations for the medium and long term."

Growth items announced at the budget meeting include:

• Financial support totalling £250,000 to Ochil Leisure Enterprise, accompanied by a service level agreement, to assist with the running of Alva Pool
• Creation of an £100,000 Environmental Improvement Fund
• £180,000 to be invested in raising educational attainment in our secondary schools with additional staff recruited and more parental engagement encouraged
• Investment of £134,000 towards to introduction of further responsible waste management measures to keep Clackmannanshire at the forefront of recycling

Councillor Womersley also announced a number of initiatives targeting the most vulnerable children and young people in our communities, including early intervention work in Tillicoultry; healthy eating infinitives in our primary schools; and £100,000 investment in childcare services.

A £1 million-worth programme of investment in the Council's staff was also announced, including a new minimum living wage for workers of £7.20 per hour and the establishment of a staff training budget. Councillor Womersley also announced that changes to staff terms and conditions planned by the previous administration will no longer go ahead.

A budget of £273,000 has been allocated in respect of support for kinship carers and planned changes to school transport will no longer go ahead.

A budget of £50,000 has been earmarked for a review of leisure provision, while the homelessness team is to receive an increase of £400,000 in funding to offset changes to the benefit system which are likely to have an impact on levels of applicants.

"We are delivering all these improvements while continuing to meet our SOA commitments of a council tax freeze and guarantees on teacher and police numbers," added Councillor Womersley. "The whole budget is underpinned by prudence and good financial stewardship, so we will also be making these increased investment while improving our levels of reserves and decreasing this Council's debt levels."