COUNTY council chiefs have rubber-stamped a 3.94 per cent increase in its Council Tax share with around a quarter of a billion pounds earmarked for adult and community services.
Worcestershire County Council’s budget was approved at a meeting on Thursday (February 17) and will see spending increased to support the county’s most vulnerable people, improve children’s prospects and to invest in the economy, environment and highway network.
Around £250million of the total budget will fund adult and community services and improve the outcomes of children and young people in Worcestershire.
Millions of pounds more will be invested in supporting the economic recovery, improving roads, pavements and tackling traffic congestion as well as investing in flood mitigation and street lighting.
Around £120million will be ploughed in over the next three years on significant highway improvements, rail investment and education.
An extra £25million on top of the £373.119million budget for 2022/23 will be spent on adult and children’s care – £17.1million in Adults and £7.9million in Children’s.
Coun Simon Geraghty, leader of Worcestershire County Council, said: “The budget delivers record funding for adults and children’s social care to protect the most vulnerable in society.
“At the same time, we are investing in those things that residents tell us are important and need improving, such as better roads and pavements, tackling congestion and improving transport.
“We are doing all this whilst keeping the level of our Council Tax to one of the lowest of any County Council in the country”.
By the end of this financial year, the County Council will have spent £52million on its response to the pandemic in 2021/22.
Three quarters of the 3.94 per cent increase is to be ring fenced for Adult Social Care services and the overall increase is approximately £1 per week for a band D property.
