Support calls for fairer funding as part of budget discussions

With funding increasingly stretched, Wokingham Borough Council is asking for views on how it allocates its limited spending.

Like almost all councils, Wokingham Borough will face difficult decisions in the coming years, as funding is not keeping pace with the cost of providing the services required. The council wants to make those decisions with the most input possible from the community.

The council’s Budget conversations will be carried out in two parts. The first part is a survey to understand people’s views on the relative importance of some of the things the council spends money on. A lot of the spending is on things the council is required to do, so it will not ask about those services, but only the areas the council has a choice over. 

The survey will also be an opportunity for residents to support the council’s calls for a better funding deal from the Government.

The second part of the Budget conversations will be later in the year and will ask about more specific ideas for how the council can save money.

Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey, executive member for Finance, said: “Like councils across the country, we need to find ways to reduce our costs and ways to increase our income – staying the same is not an option.

“That will mean difficult decisions and so it is really important that we understand what is most important to people and what we can, perhaps, prioritise less. This is everybody’s chance to have their say before we make those decisions.”

Wokingham Borough Council gets less Government support per head than other similar councils and so it is more reliant on local taxpayers. It receives about £30million a year less from the Government than the average local authority – that works out at about £400 less per household each year.

This is due to the way the Government decides how much each council gets, which is based mainly on deprivation (areas of low income), rather than what it costs the council to meet the needs of the community.

The Government does not fully factor in some of the highest cost areas, such as supporting children with special educational needs, or helping adults who have physical disabilities or learning difficulties. 

These are not linked to deprivation and so the council does not believe they are considered properly by the Government. The council is continuing to lobby government for a better funding model for local authorities across the country. 

People taking part in the Budget conversations will be asked to add their support to our calls for a better deal.

Influence our budget decisions

Cllr Stephen Conway, leader of the council, said: “We have been sensible with our money and so are not in the dire difficulty of some councils, but it will be no surprise to people that we are facing a difficult financial situation. We are always the lowest or one of the lowest funded councils in the country because of the way the Government allocates money.

“We are calling for changes to that, so that Government funding is based on the real cost of meeting residents’ needs. By taking part in the survey, residents will not only have a chance to influence our Budget decisions but also show support for our calls for a fairer deal.”

The survey is available via our Engage Wokingham Borough platform and those who cannot access it online can get a hard copy (or an easy read version) by calling (0118) 974 6000. Staff at libraries with computers will also be able to help people take part.