4.99% council tax rise for West Berkshire as budget is set and council says adult social care respite centres closure decision is ‘under review’

West Berkshire Council’s budget has now been formally set – with an extra £16m of government exceptional financial support funding to prop it up.

Last night’s (Thursday) full council meeting voted through a council tax rise of 4.99 per cent.

And attempts to use some of the extra cash to keep adult social care resource centres under council care, at a cost of nearly half a million pounds, or pause the decision, also failed.

But the council’s finance portfolio holder Ian Cottingham (Lib Dem, Thatcham Central) said a detailed review of the three centres would be undertaken to make sure any alternative provision delivers the same service under different providers.

“The quality of care will ultimately inform our decision,” said social care portfolio holder Patrick Clark (Lib Dem, Newbury Wash Common), with the council leader Jeff Brooks (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) confirming the council is ‘exploring options’ and that no decision had been made either way.

Members of staff from the centres turned up at the meeting to find out more – with confusion over whether the services were being outsourced or closed down completely.

“This is a drastic panic measure with no justification to show how it is saving any money,” said David Marsh (Green, Wash Common). “We don’t know what the future holds here.”

And Jo Stewart (Con, Tilehurst Birch Copse) added: “For the families of these people, these places offer much-needed respite.

“There are flaws on this, particularly on the use of Greenfield House.

“People tell me they cannot access places in Reading because they are in West Berkshire.

“This will impact many of our most vulnerable, and will mean more cost for these families. This does not provide a suitable alternative.”

The council needs £11.2m of savings to balance the books and has nothing much left in the bank to do so – and it can’t borrow money to get out of trouble.

The mood from the front bench was tense, as the council teeters on the brink of bankruptcy.

Councillors heard that adult and children’s social care and home-to-school transport continues to cripple spend – with data showing they account for 62 per cent of total budget, which is a seven per cent increase on the previous year.

Then the interest rates on its hefty loans have gone up to around six per cent from the usual two or three per cent.

And the high needs schools block for special educational needs provision has battered savings.

During the current financial year, WBC is highlighting an in-year unmitigated overspend of almost £11.5m despite saving about £4m in agency staff costs and a weekly meeting to keep a check on the balances.

Both the opposition Conservative and Green parties and minority parties tried to table suggested changes to the planned capital programme budget, arguing that new management systems for social care and procurement be iced, saving nearly £2m.

“What’s the point of spending all this money on IT systems when the council might be amalgamated with others in devolution?,” said Ross Mackinnon (Con, Bradfield), leader of the opposition.

But council officers said the new systems were in the process of implementation and could not be stopped without incurring penalties.

And Mr Brooks said the new systems would make the council more efficient.

The Conservatives, still making a political point out of the Lib Dem administration’s axing of the Monks Lane Sports Hub, also wanted to ditch a new playing pitch action plan, looking at other pitch sites in the district, saving a further £340,000.