Oakham and Uppingham Town Council agree budgets

Oakham and Uppingham town councils have agree their budgets for the forthcoming year.

Members of Oakham Town Council have agreed their budget for 2023/24.

Speaking at their meeting on Wednesday last week (January 12), mayor Sally-Anne Wadsworth said: “The finance committee's draft budget for financial year 2023/24 allocates £287,785 to continue to run our services over the next 12 months. This is the yearly cost of everything and despite heavy financial pressures represents only a small increase over last year’s expenditure.

“For example, by trimming our costs we are able to continue to finance the Hopper, a free bus service that runs a regular route around Oakham providing a vital lifeline to so many. Prudent fiscal management has also allowed us to absorb the 12-month rate of inflation calculated at 10% for 2022 and the 60% rise in energy costs which as an example, has seen the costs for community lighting rise from £14,650 to a forecast £23,500

“By making substantial recurrent expenditure savings and through the sensible use of £25,000 of reserve funding (savings) we can balance our budget and keep on delivering our key local services such as grounds, park and toilet maintenance, community lighting, play areas inspections, the Hopper bus service as well as floral displays, Christmas decorations and events in the park which all significantly enhance the quality of life of our Oakham residents and actively encourage visitors to our vibrant community.

“If council approves the draft budget we will not only have produced a balanced budget but also provided for a safe amount of reserve funding to balance our annual budget for each of the next three years.”

Members of Oakham Town Council unanimously agreed to approve the 2023/24 budget.

On the same night - on Wednesday last week - Uppingham Town Council also agreed its budget.

Mayor Dave Ainsley said: “Everything went smoothly [at the meeting] and we agreed a budget with a precept of £148,428 which we have calculated as a 4.36% rise in council tax on last year.

“This equates to an increase on a band D property in Uppingham of about £3.79 for the year.

“The council tax increase equates to a 2.36% rise in council tax, plus a 2% increase in the adult social care levy.

“The council's finance and general purpose committee have done a great deal of detailed work on the 2023/24 budget, carefully considering all the options. At the most recent meeting of the full council last December, the budget was considered by both account code and line by line detail, clarification being given where needed. We needed to have prudent figures to set a legally balanced budget. There were four options available to the council: to generate more income; to cut some expenditure; and increase the precept, or the fourth option a mixture of the above.

“The increase in the precept which we have decided is the best course of action in the current financial climate is however, less than the government statutory maximum allows of 4.99%.”

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