Cornwall Council budget plans could lead to increases of just over £1 a week for council tax payers, half of which is specifically targeted at adult social care.

Cornwall Council says the benefits of Cornwall’s Devolution Deal, a restructure of the Council and savings means a draft budget and four-year financial plan will protect valued and essential services.  The plan is said to respond to the issues a residents’ survey identified as most in need of improving, with proposals to provide investment for new housing, transport and economic development schemes.

Council Leader John Pollard said: ’The success of our financial planning over the past few years and the opportunities provided by our Devolution Deal to have a greater say in how public sector monies are spent in Cornwall means we are in a much stronger position than many other authorities to deliver a budget which gets the balance right between protecting essential services and increasing council tax levels, and investing in our future.’

Adam Paynter, the Council’s cabinet member for resources, said: ’This plan focuses on making sure the bins are emptied and our streets are clean, we are delivering high quality services to support and care for vulnerable people and that we have enough school places in the areas we need them.’

Under the proposed medium term financial plan around £700m will be invested in capital schemes over the next five years, the majority of which will be used to support housing, transport and economic development schemes.  This will include £150m for housing, with a total of £43 million being spent by the Council on providing affordable homes for local people; £140m on maintaining Cornwall’s roads and £93m on improving rail links and public transport.  Over £27m will also be invested in providing new fire and rescue vehicles and equipment.

At the same time the Council needs to make savings of £107m over the next four years as a result of ongoing reductions in Government funding and additional spending pressures.

As a result the plan includes a proposed revenue budget of £492m for the 2017/2018 financial year, with a savings target of £34m.

The proposed budget is based on a council tax increase of 1.97%, a weekly increase of 51p a week for a Band D property, and a social care precept levy of 2% (52p a week).

The social care precept levy will generate an additional £5.2m for adult social care, part of an extra £11m investment (9% increase) into Adult Social Care services this year.

The feedback from consultations will be presented to the council cabinet at a meeting on Wednesday (November 9).

The final decision on the budget and financial plan will be made at the meeting of the full Council on November 22.