Fears raised over Teignbridge budget

The proposals would see rural aid stopped

Fears about how rural communities will be adversely affected by Teignbridge District Council’s draft budget have been expressed.

Initial budget proposals were agreed for consideration over the next six weeks by the council’s executive committee on Tuesday, which would see council tax rise by £5 a year for the average Band D household.

Funding a new post of Climate Change Officer and assigning extra resources to planning enforcement are also part of the budget proposals, while car park charges are set to generally increase across the majority of car parks.

But the proposals would see rural aid stopped and a reduction in councillors community fund by £500 per councillor, which led to opposition councillors saying that the budget would have a significant impact on rural communities and is ‘something to be deplored’.

Presenting the draft budget, the first for the Liberal Democrats since they gained control of the council in May, Cllr Alan Connett, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services, including Finance, said the actions would enable the council to meet many of its own manifesto policies, including addressing climate change, better planning enforcement, delivering affordable homes within a wider housebuilding programme, improving local infrastructure and employment provision and boosting town centre investment, and that in difficult times, they have to make difficult choices.

He said: “No modern council can meet all its current and future challenges without some extra financial support. We’re proud of Teignbridge’s success in attracting Government funding to help us with improved housing provision and reinventing our high streets.

“This emerging budget will allow us to fulfil our pledge to fund a Climate Change Officer and the associated budget for future years of our medium-term plan, together with additional resources for planning enforcement. It also ensures additional staffing and resources for refuse and recycling as demands on those services increase. We also expect to make no increase in the green waste subscription charge.”

He added that a modest increase in selected car parking fees and charges would allow Teignbridge to continue offering free Sunday parking, whilst freezing some charges or ensuring they are no higher than levels set in 2018/19.

But Cllr Phil Bullivant, leader of the Conservative group, said he was concerned about how the budget would affect smaller rural communities.

He said he had no issue with the increase in council tax or putting more towards a climate change officer, and was happy that they were maintaining the previous administration’s capital program, but stopping rural aid and reducing the councillors; fund by a third, money previously used to support local initiatives, would have a significant impact on rural communities.

He added: “The overall direction would hurt the smaller communities adversely and that is something ti be deplored. This needs to go back and protect the smaller communities.”

The Councillors’ Community Fund can only support one-off projects and each councillor can spend up to £1,500 a year, but the proposals is to cut this back to £1,000.

The £40,000 Rural Aid fund is for the enhancement of community life and is intended to support projects which improve access to services, develop and refurbish local community facilities and amenities, address rural sustainability issues, improve the health and wellbeing of the local community, meet the needs of minority and vulnerable groups and enhance strong local community support and involvement

Parish and town councils can each submit one funding application per year for up to £5,000, but those within the Dartmoor National Park boundary are not eligible.

Cllr Stephen Purser, who represents the Teign Valley ward, said that the £40,000 spent on rural aid is just 0.6 per cent of the overall budget and is already oversubscribed. He added: “In overall terms it is peanuts but makes a huge difference to rural communities.

“And cutting the councillors’ community fund would be a double whammy as to how much we can help our areas. This is hitting the rural areas harder than the urban areas.”

In response, Cllr Connett said that in difficult times, the council has to make difficult choices. He said that scrutiny may want to look at Rural Aid and how it is worked.

He said: “The proposals address a very difficult financial background and this is not an easy target. These are initial proposals and we are happy to have a conversation and see if we can find the money elsewhere. But they cannot sit in the box forever without being looked at.”

The draft budget proposals will now be presented to the council’s overview and scrutiny committee for debate, and a budget survey is planned which will be put on the website.

The final budget proposals will be agreed at a full council meeting on February 24, 2020.