Council approves budget that continues to deliver value for money services

Despite ongoing pressures in local government finance, Hillingdon remains on a sound financial footing, with the council continuing to deliver a balanced budget and award-winning services.

Hillingdon has built and maintained a substantial capital programme, which will see further investment in free weekly waste and recycling collections, enhanced parks and leisure facilities, resurfaced roads and pavements, additional and improved housing and more school places.

Highlights of the five-year programme include:

• £42 million investment in roads and pavements
• £23.3 million for the proposed new Water Sports and Outdoor Activity Centre
• £18.5 million on carrying out school building condition works
• £16.7 million for the Platinum Jubilee Leisure Centre in West Drayton
• £14.8 million investment in digital technologies
• £11.7 million towards the creation of more school places and classrooms for children with special educational needs
• £10.7 million to carry out adaptations to residents' homes
• £10.5 million to invest in care home capacity
• £7.5 million on the Chrysalis scheme, including a park enhancement programme
• £6.5 million for the modernisation of the Civic Centre
• £4.7 million on initiatives to reduce the council's carbon footprint.

To minimise the funding requirement from residents, the council's transformation programme continues with vigour, saving £20.8 million last year and a further £15.8 million earmarked for 2024/25.

Rather than cutting services, the council believes in changing them by looking at what money is being spent on and seeing if it can find another way of delivering them with the same or improved outcomes for less.

Change can often be portrayed as a cut to be opposed; however, the council is committed to doing things differently through its transformation programme to deliver value for money for residents. Transformation includes joining services, investing in digital technologies to create efficiencies, relocating services to make better use of buildings monetarily and environmentally, or commissioning specialist providers to run services on its behalf.

Hillingdon residents are expected to once again pay amongst the lowest levels of council tax and fees and charges in outer London. Core council tax will increase by 2.99 per cent and a levy of 2 per cent to fund residents' adult social care will also be charged. In practice, this equates to a total of 4.99 per cent - £1.27 a week for a Band D property. Fees and charges will be increased in line with inflation.

Councillors also decided to reject a recommendation from the independent remuneration panel that would have seen an increase in councillor allowances of more than 27 per cent, instead aligning them with the officer salary increase.

Cllr Martin Goddard, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "While Hillingdon continues to face the same acute budgetary pressures as other local authorities, what sets this council apart from others, who have declared, or are on the verge of bankruptcy, is our record of sound financial management.

"Our effective savings delivery programme continues to deliver value for money and ensure that residents don't pay as much as other boroughs, and that the council continues to maintain and invest in its excellent services."