One of the lowest funded councils needs residents’ help to protect essential services

City of York Council is launching its biggest budget consultation ever and is asking the community to identify the services they most rely on to ensure essential services continue.

The council is facing an unprecedented financial challenge that demands immediate action. As one of the lowest funded unitary authorities in England, and after more than a decade of budget cuts, with external factors beyond the council’s control, the budget is at breaking point.

To protect services that care for people whilst delivering the services residents rely on, the council is turning to York’s residents. The community is being asked to tell the council which services they would prioritise, and which they would cut or reduce.

“We must protect services that care for our most vulnerable residents while continuing to deliver the essential services our community relies on,” said Councillor Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council. “However, we are already one of the lowest funded councils in England, spending nearly £700 less per resident than the average council. Now, to make things worse, we need to make budget cuts of £30m.

“Despite already spending less on residents than anywhere else, so less on schools, less on highways maintenance, less on social care, less on everything we do for residents, we now need to make difficult decisions about what stays and what goes.

“Our Big Budget Conversation is an urgent call to action for all residents to help shape the future of their council, and our city.”

“It is crucial we hear from all our residents and partners,” said Councillor Katie Lomas, Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects and Equalities for City of York Council. “Your feedback will guide us to prioritise the services that matter most to you and ensure we can continue to support you.”

Councillor Douglas added, “We need every resident, business owner, and city partner to join us in this crucial conversation. By taking part in Our Big Budget Conversation, you have the power to influence the council’s priorities and ensure we can keep targeting support where it’s most needed.”

The Financial Landscape

Changes in the way Local Government is funded have masked the reductions in funding for councils since 2010/11. However, when comparing Core Spending Power (the measure used by Government) whilst this has increased by 6% since 2010/11, in real terms and mainly due to inflation, there has been a reduction in spending power of 28.5% for York. Had the spending power been maintained in real terms the council would have an additional £43m available to spend.

Join Our Big Budget Conversation

Our Big Budget Conversation is an inclusive consultation designed to gather feedback from all corners of York’s community.

The council have appointed an independent research agency to host workshops with residents and community groups. This feedback, together with feedback gathered from city partners, surveys and drop-in sessions will then be analysed by the research agency, ensuring the budget consultation is independently verified and best reflects the needs of the city.

Community drop-in sessions, an online consultation and printed surveys available at York Explore, all help to make sure every voice is heard.

For more information on how to participate, visit their website at https://www.york.gov.uk/OurBigConversation, - follow us on social media, or contact them directly by email on ourbigconversation@york.gov.uk or telephone on 01904 551550.