Council Tax statement from Elise Wilson, Leader of Stockport Council

No council wants to raise Council Tax, especially when our country is so unsettled. There is a cost of living crisis related to fuel, food and energy costs. Inflation is rising, and an increase in national insurance is on the way. Many will struggle. The choice between heating and eating is real.

This is why every year, I make sure every pound in every paragraph of the budget matters. Every pound, and that is why the rise will go towards tackling the increasing cost of adult social care across the borough, which impacts us all and is key to maintaining the welfare of our most vulnerable residents. That is what I mean when I say this is a budget about fairness.

But it is also a budget for the future. A budget that thinks about our children and our grandchildren and the Stockport they will have many years from now. It is a budget full of investment to begin a new era for Stockport. Our town is on the brink of a once in a generation change. We are committed to transforming Stockport into a world-class place to spend time, creating jobs and learning opportunities. And above all, committed to the people of Stockport.

The council has produced a budget to balance the immense pressures of £20m savings requirement with the extraordinary opportunities of tomorrow, building a Stockport fit for our children and grandchildren.

This budget contains funding for:

• the real living wage to be paid to all care workers and extending the offer to council staff and contracted staff as soon as possible from April
• ambitious investment to regenerate Stockport’s town centre and district centres, creating jobs and learning opportunities
• supporting our Climate Action Now agenda, including protection against future floods
• investing in mental health and digital inclusion
• supporting veterans and targeting anti-social behaviour
• tackling the increasing cost of adult social care across the borough, which impacts us all and is key to maintaining the welfare of our most vulnerable residents

Overall, I believe the budget we have delivered is robust and positive. We continue to protect front-line services focused on growth and reform in order to grow our local economy while listening to the concerns of our residents, especially those who helped to shape the budget by engaging with our consultations.

I hope that residents will find the raise fair and proportionate and will understand the need to continue to fund vital services such as adult social care.

Visit our Council Tax webpages for more information about the council’s budget, Council Tax and precepts.

Councillor Elise Wilson, Leader of Stockport Council