Banbury residents asked to have their say on council’s budget with more cuts set to be made

Cherwell District Council is proposing a total of £500,000 in cuts for next year’s budget, which funds services such as waste collection, planning, and housing.

Many of the long-term financial issues the council currently faces are set to continue in the coming years, including uncertainty around plans for resetting business rates and the winding down of the New Homes Bonus.

The council is also facing significant inflationary pressures related to the ongoing rising cost of living crisis and a loss of income from car parks within the district.

Leader of the council Cllr Barry Wood said: “Despite the financial pressures local councils are facing, we are standing by our vision of high quality public services for a district which is a great place to live, work and prosper.

“I am pleased that alongside some difficult decisions, we have also been able to identify some areas of investment, such as a regeneration project for Bicester town centre.

"We are also standing by our commitment to helping residents navigate the cost of living crisis and continuing our work to cut our carbon emissions.”

Cllr Adam Nell, the portfolio holder for finance, said: “This is a prudent and well-thought out set of budget proposals. The key is to keep local services on a sustainable footing.

"By making back-office savings in some areas and increasing our income in others we will be able to minimise the impact on our frontline offering to residents.

“In December we will get the detail of the financial settlement from central government for local councils. That may change some of our calculations.

" But in the meantime, we want as many people as possible to have their say to help inform a budget that reflects our residents’ priorities.”

Some of the savings proposed for the 2023/24 budget include:

- £40,000 on adopting a new approach to allocating grants the council receives

- £40,000 on increasing charges for licensing activities

- £15,000 on bringing rent collection for council properties in-house

The district council also plan to invest £4.25m in transforming the Market Square in Bicester and £500,000 in green energy to reduce the council’s carbon emissions.

To find more information on the budget proposals and have your say before the December 23 deadline visit letstalk.cherwell.gov.uk/budget-consultation-2023-24