Spending plans approved by Blackpool executive

The council has set out its capital spending

The figures include £20m of savings and a proposed council tax increase of 4.9 per cent, as previously revealed.

Councillors also agreed capital spending of £24.3m for 2021/22, with all the recommendations now due to go before the council’s budget meeting on Monday March 8.

An additional £10m is being invested in adult and children’s social care, with those services now accounting for 79 per cent of all spending compared to just under half 10 years ago.

Council leader Coun Lynn Williams said: “The pressure on social care and the calls for a more sustainable system are not just affecting Blackpool, but are countrywide. Most authorities have those pressures.”

The council’s director of resources Steve Thompson told the meeting, the council had seen £186m of cumulative cuts in the past 11 years.

He also presented councillors with the capital programme for 2021/22 of £24.3m, which he said was one of the lowest in recent years.

But that excluded previous decisions on capital spending which is expected to amount to £135.8m over a three year period.

This is made up of government grants, including nearly £40m from the Town Deal, prudential borrowing which takes advantage of low interest rates, and capital receipts, which is income from council owned assets.

At the end of 2023/24 it is forecast the council’s long term debt will be £111m.

Mr Thompson said in his report: “The council has suffered from severe cuts in capital funding.

“It has continued to be proactive in seeking additional funding for schemes, and is seeking to take advantage of low-level interest rates to facilitate investment and regeneration of the town.

“The effects of Covid 19 has impacted upon the capital programme in a significant manner.

“This has resulted in delays to the completion of projects such as the conference centre, tramway and Central Business District phase two.”

His report adds the proposed capital programme “demonstrates the increased investment that Blackpool Council is making in the town to ensure that Blackpool develops a year round economy that both attracts visitors and encourages growth in the town.”

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