Budget Engagement 2023
Introduction
Cheshire East Council is inviting opinions and views from residents, businesses, councillors, staff, town and parish councils, local community groups and other stakeholders on the council’s budget for the next financial year.
Inflation, including fuel, energy, is running at around ten per cent currently, compared to a national target of two per cent. Pay inflation is also significantly higher than forecasts, and interest rates have risen from 0.5 per cent in February 2022 to three per cent. In addition, like other councils across the country, Cheshire East Council is seeing increasing complexity of demand in services to support people who need additional help. More than 60 per cent of the council’s net budget is spent on these services for adults and children.
The draft financial strategy includes a number of proposals to re-balance the council’s budget in the face of these significantly increased costs and demand on services. This includes a 4.99 per cent council tax increase.
Other proposals affecting day-to-day services include changes to garden waste collection, maintenance of green spaces, parking charging, leisure provision, library opening times and proposals for how the council, with its partners, can improve care for adults at home and services for children and young people.
The proposals show a balanced four-year budget to deliver the council’s corporate plan priorities. It also outlines significant financial challenges that the council must tackle over the next year.
The budget for 2023/24, as part of the council’s four-year financial strategy, will be set at a public meeting of Full Council on 22 February 2023.
The public consultation survey will be open for responses until 30 January 2023.
View this year's draft financial strategy
Give your feedback on this year's budget
Give your views on this year's Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS):
For any queries about this engagement, or if you would like to receive this questionnaire in an alternative format, please email the Research and Consultation team RandC@cheshireeast.gov.uk. If you do not have email access please call Customer Services on 0300 123 55 00 who will send your enquiry on your behalf.
Outcomes from last year's budget engagement
Future involvement
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Your comments
Add your comments about the Budget Engagement below.
We moderate all comments before we make them public. We try to approve new comments as soon as possible, though our core hours for approvals are between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Moderation rules (PDF, 39KB).
We will publish your name alongside your comment but not your email address. We ask for your email address in case we need to contact you about your comment. If you wish to remain anonymous, put "Anonymous" in the name box.
Comments, alongside names, will also be included in reports of engagement responses, which will be distributed to key decision makers and published on the website.
Page last reviewed: 06 January 2023
Thank you for your feedback.