Draft budget update
Published
Thursday 6 February, 2025
Updated
Thursday 6 February, 2025
Swale Borough Council's Policy and Resources Committee has agreed to send draft budget proposals to full council later this month.
These proposals outline how the council could allocate spending on essential services for residents, and includes savings proposals and increases in income to help maintain a balanced budget and minimise the impact on reserves.
The proposed budget will now go to full council on 19 February 2025 for debate and final approval, subject to any agreed amendments.
Cllr Tim Gibson, leader of the council, said:
“Despite the considerable financial challenges that we continue to face, we believe that these proposals will help us to keep delivering the services that local people rely on us for.
"Not everyone is aware of the wide range of things that we do as a council within our relatively modest budget, but we will continue to work hard ensure that we get the most out of every pound that we spend.
"Last year our officers carried out more than 400 inspections of food premises, to make sure that the food being prepared is safe for us to eat.
"We have provided support and advice to almost 1,300 vulnerable people through our Staying Put service, carried out 232 repairs and 118 housing adaptations to keep people safe in their homes.
"Children can play safely in play areas that we inspected on more than 3,000 occasions last year, and we’ve hosted more than 100 events in our green spaces for people to get outside and be active.
"More than 140 charities and non-profits have been helped through our discretionary rate relief scheme, meaning that they can continue with their important work.
"We’ve helped to provide more than 1,500 households with support like food and fuel vouchers, advice, winter warm packs and more through the Household Support Fund and our One Swale Roadshows.
"We’ve also rescued around 70 dogs, helped offenders recycle 150 bikes and learn new skills and provided more than 50 grants to local small businesses and community groups.
"Our planning service has dealt with more than 1,500 applications, carried out 342 investigations, taken 14 legal actions and reviewed six conservation areas.
"Our waste service have investigated over 343 instances of fly-tipping, stopped 18 vehicles suspected of illegally carrying waste and issued fixed penalty notices to people that irresponsibly discard their waste.
"We are also investing to save wherever we can, including cutting the costs of temporary accommodation for families with nowhere else to go by buying properties to reduce our reliance on costly bed and breakfasts.
"All of the above provide a snapshot and headline of some of the many things that we do, but of course there are many more services that we provide such as waste, street cleaning, economic development and community safety. I want ensure that our residents have an improved awareness of the wide range of things that our council provides.
"This draft budget sets out how we hope to do that in the year ahead, and how we will continue to work hard to give local people the best value possible."
Swale Borough Council only keeps a small percentage of the council tax we collect. The money is shared between Kent County Council (KCC), Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue, Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, and parish and town councils where these exist.
In 2024/25 the spilt was:
- KCC - 73%
- Kent Police - 12%
- SBC - 9%
- Kent Fire - 4%
- Parishes - 2%
The full report on the budget proposals are available on the agenda page for the Policy and Resources committee meeting.
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