Hillingdon Council approved its annual budget last week.

As part of the budget, it was announced that council tax in the borough is set to rise by 5.8%, but there would be no cuts to frontline services. 

This means that a Band D property will be paying an additional £1.70 a week, bringing the total council tax to £1,603.38.

In addition, for the first time in 14 years, council tax will not be frozen for people over 65 because the older persons discount scheme will not be applied in the coming year. 

However, the council say they will protect the existing discounts for those who already receive this discount, and that a safety net is also in place for the most financially vulnerable through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

An additional £10 million has been set aside in case government grants are not enough to cover COVID-19 funding pressures.

Highlights of the budget include:

  • £29 million for a new leisure centre and community facilities in West Drayton
  • £30 million over five years to maintain roads
  • £20.8 million for building and expanding schools
  • £177.5 million for increased housing, which includes a £31.4 million investment in Hillingdon First Limited for new homes
  • £70 million for improvements to existing housing stock
  • £22.5 million for equipment and adaptations for social care users to help to improve their independence
  • £3.9 million on town centre improvements across the borough

Conservative Councillor Martin Goddard, Hillingdon’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "Despite the many challenges arising from the pandemic in Hillingdon, thanks to our strong record of sound financial management, we are able to continue to put residents first as we set out our budget for the coming year."

Opposition Labour members also put forward an alternative budget amendment which was voted down by the ruling Conservatives.

The amendment included a review of youth services, a care leavers council tax discount, increased domestic violence support, mental health first aid training, and discounts on local services for low-income families.

They highlighted that, since 2010, youth services have been cut from £4 million to roughly £500,000.

Labour’s Councillor Stuart Mathers said: “The Conservatives had no real arguments against the substance of our amendment, so instead they resorted to personal insults, made up conversations, and comparisons to other local authorities. 

“Many of the suggestions we put forward in our amendments year after year eventually end up in Conservative proposals, proving that this isn’t about policy – it’s about politics.”

Featured image credit: Conrad Roth via Wikipedia Commons CC 2.0 license