Budget and Corporate Plan Consultation 2010-2011

Budget and Corporate Plan 2010 - 2011 Consultation

Northampton Borough Council's Corporate Plan sets out our medium term objectives and ambitions for the Council and is updated each year.

In November 2009 the Council started consultation on its Budget and Corporate Plan priorities consultation. We wanted to find out what was important to people and where we need to focus our resources.  The economic climate is the toughest it has been for many years and we wanted to make sure the priorities that we had set ourselves were still appropriate.

Phase Two of our Public Consultation on the draft budget proposal for 2010/11 is now underway. Phase One of our consultation focused on setting our Corporate priorities. If you were unable to get involved in Phase One, the online form detailed below includes both phases.      

The economic recession means these are difficult times but we are determined that Northampton Borough Council will continue to improve and provide better services and value for money for local people.

This will be a challenge. Demand for our services and support for people, particularly those in need of benefits and housing, has increased.  At the same time, there will be less income from council tax, Government grants and service charges.  So there will be hard choices to be made about how resources are allocated.

Your views on this are important.  We want to know, for example, if you would be prepared to receive a lower level of service in some areas so that we could provide more support to vulnerable people most affected by the recession.

Northampton Borough Council receives 15% from the total council tax collected to support the services we provide.  The balance is collected on behalf of the County Council and the Police Authority, who are separately consulting on their council tax. 

Northampton Borough Council provides you with many services, including:

• Waste and litter collection
• Household waste collection
• Doorstep recycling
• Cultural and recreational activities and venues (such as sport, leisure centres, museums and galleries, theatres / concert halls, parks and open spaces)
• Housing 
• Planning

Despite the financial pressures that the Council is facing, we are now consulting on a draft balanced budget with a proposed council tax increase of 2.47%.  This represents an annual increase of £5.05 on an average Band D property.  The draft budget for 2010/11 also includes £4.3m of efficiency savings in the General Fund.

We are seeking your views through this consultation to help us look at our priorities and how money will be spent during the next year.

The following budget information is available to assist you in completing your response to the consultation.

Supporting documents,

• Savings Proposals
• Internal Efficiency Savings
• Fees and Charges
• Capital Programme

In addition the full Cabinet Report for the Council Wide Budget 2010/11 - 2012/13, is available below,

• Cabinet Report
• Cabinet Report Annexes

How to take part

The final decisions about the budget and priorities will be made during February 2010.

Further information on our Corporate Plan and budget, together with details on the outcomes of this consultation, will be made available on our website or on request.

Tell us what you think by

• Emailing your views to budget@northampton.gov.uk

Further consultation will also take place through our Resident's Panel, Community Forums and partnership engagement.

If you need help completing the form, require the information in an alternative format or would prefer to talk to us on the telephone, call 01604 837573 or by minicom on 01604 838970.