Plans to invest millions of pounds in Staffordshire’s infrastructure and economic development have been passed.
At the same time as allocating £109 million for roads, schools, broadband and economic investment in the next 12 months, Staffordshire County Council will also spend £346.2 million caring for the elderly, adults in need of support and vulnerable children and young people.
Speaking after the 2021/22 Budget was approved by Full Council, Leader Alan White said: “Following the difficult times of the last 12 months our focus is firmly on helping this county move forward by working hard to help our economy recover and grow to create the opportunities for a better life for our residents.
“We will carry on spending money on schools, business parks, roads and broadband to get the economy moving again so that existing businesses grow and new ones have the confidence to their first steps here.
“We have shown again in recent times that our communities can work together for the common good and they will continue to be at the heart of our approach to supporting our residents to live safely, healthily and independently for as long as possible.”
The 2021/22 investment package includes £69 million on roads and bridges and £26 million maintaining and extending schools.
Other expenditure includes £7 million on the Stafford Western Bypass, another £3 million towards for the 60 acre i54 Western Extension in South Staffordshire, £600,000 to support the Eastgate regeneration scheme in Stafford, £300,000 to create more space at successful business parks in Cannock and Newcastle, and £2.8 million towards a new health centre in Burntwood.
At the same time, new support programmes for businesses will include £860,000 investment to fund wages for 500 apprentices, a training fund for firms to upgrade their employees’ skills and a grants scheme for small businesses.
Other investment for 2021/22 includes:
- continuing localised support for business with emergency grants, start-up support and rent relief at Enterprise Centres;
- working with the Federation of Small Businesses to provide free ‘back office’ support for a year;
- rolling replacement of conventional bulbs in street lights with LED lighting to save energy and cut costs;
- additional expenditure on the roads budget to deal with winter weather and more money to tackle weeds and kerbside maintenance;
- creation of cycleways and improvements for pedestrians in urban areas.
The £346 million budget for social care is an increase of approximately £26 million on 2020/21 and amounts to 65 per cent of the county council’s net budget.
Alan White said: “We have taken huge steps to rethink how we approach care in Staffordshire so it can be done affordably, safely and close to home, with a focus on early intervention.
“But despite being a well-run council next year social care will again account for two-thirds of our expenditure and the need to fund this is responsible for more than half of the proposed increase in council tax.
“Growing demand in this sector remains a national challenge and we need central Government to take the lead in finding sustainable long-term solutions.”
The increase in Council Tax of 4.99 per cent comprises a 1.99 per cent general increase and three per cent ringfenced for social care. For a Band D property, it equals an additional £1.24 a week.
