Updated: Full Council has today, 24 February, approved the budget for 2022/23.
The Leader’s proposed Budget for 2022/23 is to be discussed at the council’s Scrutiny meeting on Friday 11 February, before it goes to Full Council on Thursday 24 February.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Daren Hale said: “We have named this budget “Keeping Hull moving forward”, as this is ultimately what we are doing. We are investing in resources to the public, modernising our city and our highways network; improvements that prepare our city for the next 100 years.
“This is the most optimistic budget we have seen in years. It is a budget that sees more jobs, more investment and more housing for local people, while maintaining the long-term services that local residents value so much.”
Revenue funding
The proposed revenue funding would see:
- The anytime pensioner and disabled person bus pass and the KAT card bus pass both retained.
- Free bulky item collections and recycling sites being open seven days a week continue.
- An additional £3million investment into Children, Young People and Family Services, and a further £3.7million for Adult Social Care, to meet increasing care costs.
- A further £1million for Streetscene and open spaces, to increase maintenance of public spaces. This will result in the creation of 16 new jobs in this service area, improving the environment in which Hull residents live.
- An additional £300,000 to support the Carbon Neutrality agenda, and ambitious Net Zero carbon target by 2030, to develop new bio-fuels to replace diesel in the Councils vehicle fleet.
- A £110,000 investment for developing a new cycling hub in the city centre which will enable cyclists to hire an E-bike, as well as securely store their own cycles and get them repaired whilst there.
- An additional £80,000 to increase the workforce in Area Teams, to support neighbourhoods.
- £5.7million of savings made without cutting services to the public or jobs in the Council, through being more efficient, such as bringing the 300300 customer service call centre in-house; improving the customer experience for everyone using 300300.
Pickering Park in west Hull.
Capital funding
Councillor Phil Webster, Portfolio Holder for Finance said: “We have ambitious plans for the city totalling £356.5million of investment, £91.8million of which accounts for self-funding schemes and £6.5million for drawing down match funding.
“We are working to build a future; through vital investment in the road network to improve journey experience for all road users and ultimately reducing congestion on new and improved roads. We remain committed to developing Albion Square, so it can link the areas of the centre together and provide what is needed for future city use. This scheme is self-funded in that it will deliver residential accommodation that will return funding through sales and rent, and the retail and leisure provision on the site will generate income for the Council. This means that over time the scheme will pay for itself, while regenerating the last large area of the city centre for everyone to use and enjoy.
“We are also committed to the Cruise Terminal development as this will generate millions for the local economy and make the city more vibrant and sustainable for generations to come.
“Finally we want to empower communities to become more sustainable, representative and confident and so we want to invest in community initiatives, along with continued investment in libraries, private sector housing, and importantly our Net Zero ambition for 2030.”
The proposed Capital spend would see:
- £11million invested in highways maintenance.
- £8million to maintain bridges.
- £5.5million for parks and open spaces.
- £4.2million for footpaths.
- £800,000 for libraries up-keep and improvement.
- £1.5million investment in areas of private sector housing, as well as £4million for improvements to private sector frontages, alongside continuing to improve council housing and build new, affordable housing.
- An additional £2million across communities to fund local initiatives.
- £18.9million investment into Albion Square Phase 1.
- Investment of £700,000 to attract Government investment to deliver the Riverside berth/ cruise terminal project.
- £700,000 for suitable stop-over sites for the traveller community.
- More than £80million for 650 new build council houses over the next five years.
Albion Square urban park
Council Tax
The Budget proposes a total Council Tax rise of 2.99 percent.
Councillor Webster said: “We propose to increase the base rate of Council Tax by 1.99 percent in 2022/23 and take up the 1 percent Adult Social Care precept. We have kept the increase as low as we possibly can, as we know cost of living increases are affecting our residents.”
For people living in a Band A property, this will be an increase of 57 pence a week for council services, and an annual increase from £998.09 in 2021/22 to £1,027.93 in 2022/23.
Council housing
The Budget outlines a rent rise of 3.1 percent for council houses.
Councillor Webster continued: “Government outlined a 3.1 percent increase to rents, with an option to increase by a further 1 percent. We have chosen not to take the extra 1 percent.
“This Budget outlines no service reductions to residents and an increase in jobs.”
