Have your say on the council's budget and savings proposals.
Thursday 15 December 2022 to Tuesday 3 January 2023. This consultation is closed. Reports available.
This year has seen unprecedented increases in costs for both residents and businesses across Herefordshire and we recognise the impact on you and your families. It has also had a significant impact on the council's finances with large increases in costs for fuel, energy, adult social care, looked-after children and environmental services.
We therefore have to review all our services to consider what we can continue to provide. We'll need to make savings in some areas to be able to continue to provide services in others. Your feedback will help make sure we prioritise the services which best serve our residents' needs and requirements for support.
Have your say
The budget consultation ran from Thursday 15 December 2022 until Tuesday 3 January 2023.
We wanted to hear from anyone who currently lives or works in Herefordshire and is over 16 years old, regardless of whether or not they pay Council Tax. We ran separate consultation events for businesses and local organisations.
Feedback reports
We reported the results of the online survey and the consultation events as part of the Council meeting on 10 February 2023.
- Report on online budget 2023/24 consultation feedback - Appendix G
- Report on budget 2023/24 consultation events - Appendix F
Background to the 2023/24 budget consultation
This year has seen unprecedented increases in costs for both residents and businesses across Herefordshire and we recognise the impact on you and your families. It has also had a significant impact on the council's finances with large increases in costs for fuel, energy, adult social care, looked-after children and environmental services.
To meet these pressures, Herefordshire and local authorities across the country are now facing budget deficits on a scale that has not been seen before. With no assistance coming from central government, this means that additional cost pressures from inflation and growth in demand for services are unfunded and savings measures must be identified to address the resulting shortfall.
To ensure that the council remains in a financial position to progress our priorities of protecting and enhancing our environment, supporting the local economy and strengthening communities, we need to build financial resilience and make sure that we manage the council's finances very carefully.
We continue to deliver services efficiently but rising costs and increased local demand for services mean we are currently facing a budget shortfall of £22 million in 2023/24. This is such a serious shortfall that we can only address it by undertaking a complete review of the services the council can and cannot continue to provide.
This consultation presented some high-level options that could contribute towards balancing the budget for 2023/24 and their likely impacts which include reducing and changing services, increasing charging for services and increasing Council Tax.
How we'll use the information from this consultation
The closing date for this consultation was Tuesday 3 January 2023. The information gained will be used to inform our budget and the result of the consultation will be published on this page. Any comments provided will be treated as confidential and will be anonymised before publication.
If you have any queries please contact us at researchteam@herefordshire.gov.uk