Barnet Council is seeking views on its plans for saving money and generating income to help close its £17.3million budget gap in the next financial year.
Take part in our budget consultation
Like many other councils, Barnet continues to face significant funding pressures set against growing demand for essential services, especially for children, families, and adult social care, and for the borough’s most vulnerable residents.
The consultation gives Barnet residents, people who live outside the borough and use the council’s services, businesses, and local community groups the opportunity to have their say.
Cllr Dan Thomas, Leader of Barnet Council, said: “We want to provide the very best service to our residents, ensuring the council is well run and easy to deal with. We remain ambitious and want Barnet to be a great place to live – but we can only achieve this with the help of our residents and community groups. Please give us your views on how we can make the borough better.”
The budget consultation’s proposals include plans for increasing general Council Tax by 1.99 per cent and applying the so-called ‘Adult Social Care Precept’ Council Tax increase of 2 per cent to help fund the growing demand for adult social care. The council would also like residents’ views on its overall budget, savings and income generation proposals for the 2020-21 financial year.
Between 2010 and 2019, the council saved over £174 million while protecting frontline services as much as possible for Barnet’s 400,000 residents. In the past year, the council has invested £45million in opening two new leisure centres at Copthall and New Barnet, and over £4million in the Unitas facility for children and young people, funded by income from new housing developments in the borough. More than 7,000 adults have been supported through social care services, and over 600 children in care and care leavers.
The consultation is now live. To take part, read our consultation document and then fill in the questionnaire.
The consultation closes on 3 February.