Regular readers (if they exist) may have noticed that there was no weekly review last week. That’s because I had an unplanned stay in hospital last Friday/Saturday. Nothing serious, but something that needed time in hospital to sort. As ever, I cannot thank all the staff, medical and support, at both Trafford General and Wythenshawe for their care. We’re very lucky to have the NHS, supported by the skills, care and expertise of a workforce drawn from all over the world.
My hospital stay meant I missed last Friday’s meeting of Greater Manchester Combined Authority, but I was very grateful for the supportive words Andy Burnham offered to us at Trafford Council regarding our current financial situation. Andy continues to be a brilliant champion of us in Trafford at a challenging time. Earlier in the week, the Government confirmed the financial settlement for local government and, as it stands, it is not a settlement that works for Trafford. I referenced this in comments I made during a meeting of the Executive last Thursday evening. You can listen to my comments here from about 9 minutes and forty seconds in. As it stands, our growth in core spending power (funding) over the next three years is around 3.8%, compared to an average of 20% for all metropolitan districts.
Having made over £300m in savings since 2010, this settlement puts Trafford Council in an unenviable position. We share very similar pressures to other councils- particularly in our budgets based on need (for example adult and children’s services) and pressures in temporary accommodation. We have a programme of service transformation and savings, however that alone will not support our path to long term financial sustainability. Each year, our cost pressures grow faster than the revenue the council receives. This is one of the reasons why the Government has granted Trafford Council permission to increase Council Tax by 7.49%.
I know and absolutely understand that this will not be a popular decision. I know that it is asking a lot from our residents at a time when the cost of living remains a concern. I want to assure you that we would not be taking this decision if it were not necessary to bring more recurrent funding into our budget and support our finances in the long run. I want to assure you that we will continue to offer a generous Council Tax Support Scheme and will continue to offer the support we can to our residents in most need. We also continue to have the second lowest council tax in Greater Manchester.
Dialogue continues at this late stage at different levels of government. In the meantime I await the alternative budgets proposed by other the other parties ahead of the budget setting meeting next month.
The services we provide as a council matter, and our Executive meeting last week provided a showcase of some of the positive things we’re working on in Trafford. We launched our Heritage Framework- recognising the rich and diverse heritage we have on offer. We also launched our Allotments Strategy, acknowledging how fortunate we are to have such a vibrant allotment community in Trafford. We approved an arrangement that will boost to biodiversity in Flixton and the wider Borough. We channelled funding into park equipment. We secured funding to increase the supply of temporary accommodation. We approved a new plan to support Urmston Town Centre. And we continue to forecast an underspend for this current year’s budget.
Outside of the Town Hall I was delighted to have the opportunity to showcase some of the projects in Trafford where reuse of existing buildings and structures has been prioritised in regeneration projects. This was part of a panel discussion organised by Manchester Climate Ready and Don’t Waste Buildings. The regeneration work at Move Altrincham, King Street in Stretford and Brotherton Court in Sale Moor not only transformed buildings and places, but also helped reduce carbon emissions associated with new construction. It was a very interesting discussion where one of my colleagues on the panel also had the opportunity to showcase the transformation of Stanley Square in Sale.
Finally, this week I joined my friend and colleague, Paul Dennett, who is the City Mayor of Salford and our Lead for Housing in Greater Manchester, in Old Trafford to celebrate the construction of a new neighbourhood that will include 19 socially rented homes built to Truly Net Zero standard. This project has been a partnership between Trafford Council, L&Q, Greater Manchester, Homes England and Lovell and I’m looking forward to its completion.
Trafford is a great place to live and the project in Old Trafford provides another opportunity for people to start a home and enjoy the place I’ve been fortunate to live in for most of my life.