Strong & Confident Borough Budget Agreed

A ‘strong, confident budget’, which puts communities at its heart has been agreed by Redditch Borough Councillors.

At a meeting last night (Mon) Members approved the budget which will see an increase to its part of the Council Tax bill by 2.99%, an increase of just 17p per week.

The rise will mean an average band D household will pay a total of £285.94 a year which is just £5.50 a week. 

Redditch Borough Council collects the entire bill on behalf of Worcestershire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Fire and Rescue Service and Feckenham Parish Council.

Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Ian Woodall, said: “By setting a strong, confident budget, we’ve avoided making cuts to services and can keep them modern, high‑quality, and focused on the needs of our residents.

“This budget has kept the council’s finances on an even keel, and the council tax rate is in line with the rate of inflation, we’ve done this by managing our budgets effectively over the last two years. Owing to this, we’ll now be able to invest over a million pounds in our communities over the coming years.”

The budget is put together with the council’s three priorities, Economy, Regeneration & Prosperity, Community & Housing, and Green, Clean, and Safe which residents have told the local authority are important to them.

Significant investment is being made in Town Hall renovations, enhancing public services with energy efficiency in mind.

Operational services have also benefited from investment, including the introduction of a modern housing vehicle fleet to help teams respond to resident needs.

Local communities have events throughout the year to enjoy and green, clean parks to play in which are well-maintained by our teams.

Leader of Redditch Borough Council, Cllr. Sharon Harvey said: “We retain less than 12% of the Council Tax we collect, which is a very small share of the total contributed by our residents.

“And we do much more than empty your bin, our community investment is not for showing off or political point-scoring, it’s about delivering high-quality services for our residents on the ground. It’s about continuing to be proud of the positive, inclusive, and beautiful town we live in.”