County Council raises precept by 5%

County councillors have agreed a budget increase of 4.99% for the coming financial year following a six hour meeting yesterday (17th February).

The budget includes extra money for children in care, older people and those with disabilities.

The council said the government's Fairer Funding Review would result in the council losing over £40m a year in grant funding by 2028.

However, the councils says it is investing £1.3 billion in assets and infrastructure over the next four years through its capital spending programme. This includes £140 million to expand places in schools for children with SEND as well as £377 million to improve and maintain Hertfordshire’s roads.

This budget is ambitious and affordable, it supports our vision for a sustainable, inclusive and thriving Hertfordshire, and provides extra funding for the services our residents value most. We want to help children and young people thrive, support those most in need and fix Hertfordshire’s roads and buses which is why we are investing an extra £107 million to deliver these priorities alongside the hundreds of vital services we deliver daily. We would like to do even more, but we are setting this budget against an incredibly challenging financial backdrop. Despite this, the budget will enable us to continue to deliver high quality services to Hertfordshire’s communities.

:: Councillor Steve Jarvis, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council

An amendment tabled by Reform councillor Matthew Hurst, proposing the scrapping of 20mph zones and the council's central Diversity, Equality and Inclusion officers was rejected by 41 votes to nine.

Conservative opposition leader, Richard Roberts, told the meeting the budget was "built on a wing and a prayer", while his Tory colleague Alexander Curtis described it as "fantasy economics".

Residents will also see a 5.6% increase in their policing bill from April, whilst East Herts Council plans to increase its share of council tax by 2.99%.