Published on:
10
March 2023
Councillors have agreed spending on services for this year and have placed the needs of residents, communities and businesses at the heart of decision making.
At a special meeting of the Council yesterday (9 March) a revenue budget of £152.184m, which will be spent on services in 2023/2024, was approved.
A 20 year capital investment programme of £236m was also agreed.
This includes a £55.884m spend on the new Wellbeing Hub and £19.92m on the new Lochies School, which are both being built at the Pavilions site in Alloa West.
A key area of investment is £9.588m in the £214 million City Region Deal which includes Scotland’s International Environment Centre, Alloa Innovation Hub, the Intergenerational Living Innovation Hub and Alloa Digital Hub.
Improving transport links, our play parks and the regeneration of Alloa town centre are also highlighted in the capital investment programme.
And £91,000 will be used to increase payments to foster carers to ensure that children and young people can stay within their local communities.
Councillors also agreed to transfer £25.269m to the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership to support the care of older adults and people with a disability.
It was also agreed to increase the council tax by 5%, which will mean a rise of £67.19 for a Band D property in 2023/24.
Some other fees and charges will increase by 5%, which is below the rate of inflation.
The Council is facing the same inflationary pressures as our residents and service users, but this budget allows us to continue to invest in a sustainable future through support for transformation, modernisation of service delivery models and a focus on aligning resources available on priorities.
While difficult decisions have had to be made, the budget for 2023/2024 aims to strike the right balance between affordability, sustainability and delivering the services that local people want and need, with the available funding.
Council Leader Ellen Forson said: “We are making decisions which protect areas such as education, social work and health & social care which most people will understand.
“We are also mindful of the challenges faced by our communities, which is why tackling poverty and other social inequalities continues to be our top priority.
“We have not taken any decisions lightly, and in developing our budget for this year, we have listened closely to the feedback provided through the budget consultation process.”