Investing in Reading’s Recovery - Reading Borough Council Budget Consultation 2021/22

Overview

Reading Borough Council is consulting on its budget for the financial year 2021/22. We are inviting input from people who live and work in Reading, partners, local businesses, and people who come into Reading to use our services. 

The consultation is open from 15 December 2020 to 15 January 2021.

If you require this consultation in another format such as large print, braille or in translation please email budget@reading.gov.uk 

Why your views matter

Foreword by Councillor Jason Brock, Leader of Reading Borough Council

In a tremendously tough year for everyone, Council services have been critical in the fight against the Covid pandemic. While we all hope for much better news next year, there is no doubt the impact is likely to be felt for years to come. It is now the Council’s job to do everything in its power to minimise the impact by investing in Reading’s recovery.

The financial stability we have worked tirelessly to achieve over recent years means we are in a position where savings still need to be delivered, but frontline services will be protected. Our ambitions for Reading remain. We intend to deliver on all of our flagship investments, including our biggest ever investment in residential road repairs, two new swimming pools, the introduction of doorstep food waste collections and building desperately needed affordable Council homes.

Our commitment to achieving a net zero carbon town by 2030 also remains. As well as increasing recycling rates through food waste collections, the budget proposals include major investments in energy efficient buildings and in renewable energy.

There are major investments for the more vulnerable members of our society too, both young and old.  Purpose built schools will be constructed for children with special education needs and we will deliver new, modern, housing for older residents, giving them more choice to live independently with the support they need at hand. We are also making a major investment in how we interact with residents, cutting unnecessary delays and putting our customers at the heart of everything we do.

The longer-term funding issues facing every single local authority have not changed this year. In Reading we have successfully made over £34 million of savings in the last three years, modernising services and making them more efficient. 

The Covid crisis has shown the essential role local government still plays in our society. A sustainable solution for properly funding both Adult’s and Children’s Social Care is long overdue. The Government’s Fairer Funding Review, initially due for implementation this year, has been delayed. Reading remains a major economic player in the south east, but it is essential that the Government make vital infrastructure funding and further business support money available to us to drive the economy as we come out of this crisis, which will benefit everyone in the town and the region.

This consultation is an opportunity for all our residents, partners and local businesses to input into our budget proposals for the coming year. Please do take the opportunity to have your say.  

The following pages summarise the key budget proposals – you can read the report itself here, or the full pack of papers that went to Policy Committee at Item 7 on the agenda, including the supporting information can be found here.

What happens next

Your consultation reponses will be used to help shape the final budget proposal. This will be taken to the full Council meeting in February for approval.