Labour-led Stockport Council announces the full range of proposals for this year’s Council Budget Meeting.
In January Stockport Council revealed a one-off winfall was available due to a combination of a reimbursement from the renegotiation of the GM Waste contract and more than expected Council Tax and Business Rate collection.
Labour have pledged to use this one-off windfall to build upon their agenda that they have established over the past 3 years, which focuses on; protecting frontline services, supporting community wealth building, shift towards a sustainable, healthy Stockport and modernising the Borough to be fit for the 21st Century.
Labour’s proposals will:
Improve our services to the most vulnerable, making sure Stockport’s Children’s and Adult Social Services are of the highest quality and fit for purpose, and that no child is left to go hungry through school holidays.
Enhance community assets, especially our parks, greenspaces and libraries, creating welcoming places and promoting a healthy mind and healthy body across the Borough.
Support our town and district centres, businesses and voluntary sector with financial initiatives to empower local people to grow within Stockport.
Strengthen the Councils resilience in order to address growing Climate Emergencies and services pressures in the future.
Here is a full list of the proposals:
- Launch 6 pilots to tackle Holiday Hunger and the causes of Holiday Hunger.
- £1.2m to support enhanced integration pilots and other projects designed to improve Children’s Social Care Services rating to Outstanding.
- £0.5m to facilitate the move in the new Adult Social Care Operating Model, which is designed to help people stay in their own homes.
- £0.5m to support School Placement and Estate development work.
- £1m to supply external gym equipment into Stockport’s parks, and add children’s fun fitness kits into a selected number of parks.
- £0.1m to make sure each ward in the Borough has an Orchard.
- £0.25m to support the Council’s Climate Emergency call to action.
- £1.5m will be used to maintain, improve or repair the Council’s highways and infrastructure damaged in last year’s flooding.
- £0.232m to support the roll out of Open+ to an additional 5 Libraries.
- £0.5m top up to the Stockport Local Fund.
- £0.3m to create an interest free district centre loan scheme.
- £1m allocated to reserves to improve the Councils financial resilience.
- £3.6m town centre investment including improvements to Merseyway, an investment in the Mayoral Development Corporation, a new Hopes Carr memorial garden and supporting our sustainability agenda.
**A further contribution was made to the Bus Franchising Scheme.
The proposals must be ratified at Stockport Budget Council Meeting on 27th February.
Cllr Elise Wilson, Leader of Stockport Council, said:
“Our budget proposals are a valuable investment in Stockport. I believe Stockport is an excellent place to live and the people of Stockport, quite rightly, expect us to deliver for them. That is why we are using windfall money that’s been made available to us to do just that.
“Since Labour has led this council, we have a track record of high aspiration and delivery. Our leadership has made real difference to our borough and to this council.
“We have delivered jobs and economic opportunities, developed an up and coming Town Centre and built affordable homes at a higher rate than Stockport has seen in 30 years.
“We have an ambitious delivery plan for sustainable transport, decarbonisation, environmental and public space improvements and protections, strived to deliver the highest quality services in children’s and adult care services as well as having aspirational plans to tackle condition issues within the school estates.
“We know we are going to face more challenges ahead, with increased demand pressures on our budgets for services in the coming years, but our Labour leadership will meet those challenges with the necessary investment into our communities, economy and transformational change to ensure we continue to protect the most vulnerable as far as we can and put the people of Stockport at the very heart of what we do.”
ENDS