SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL is working to address a potential budget gap of £29.3 million next year (2023/24) as the serious financial situation affecting all local authorities intensifies. The council published its draft budget last month. Global events, rising inflation and continuingly increasing de- mand for services mean costs are rising at an unprecedented rate.  The council’s financial position has changed in a very short space of time, similar to many other local authorities across the country. Rising costs The council has through contract negotiations saved money, such as a fixed price energy contract which will save £2 million, but this is due to end next spring. Increasing costs have put the council under growing financial pressure. Not only will energy prices rise for the council next spring, but the expect- ed national pay offer for staff will increase the council’s spend by an extra £6.4 million each year. Rapidly growing demand on services, including adult social care, means the cost of delivering existing support is likely to rise by £8.5 million every year. Additional- ly, capital costs – for building roads, schools, and other one-off projects – have already risen significantly and may continue to grow if the costs of materials, for example, don’t return to more normal prices Savings The council is in a relatively good starting position, with additional savings of £2.9 million identified this year and £23.6 million of savings already in the pipeline, although the unprecedented costs and other pressures means there is still the potential for a £29.3 million gap in the budget.  The council is now having to look for possible changes to the way it delivers some services and even whether or not it can contin- ue to provide some services. Some changes may result in redundan- cies for its staff. It is also looking at how it can raise income, including by increasing Council Tax. The council is prevented by law from raising Council Tax by more than 1.99 per cent without a local referendum. A one per cent rise in Council Tax would generate £1.6 million. The council is now working to identify new ways to increase income and reduce spending and the impact those steps might have. Proposals will be presented to its Cabinet in December. Support for those in need The council will prioritise support for people who need it most. There are two grant funds, Community Resilience Fund and Household Support Fund, available for those struggling financially. The council also continues to press for reform to special educational needs and disability support, and to fully fund the cost of care. An urgent challenge Cabinet member for Corporate Resources, Cllr Ben Burton, said: “By View from the Leader of the Council, Cllr Toby Savage WELCOME –We’re glad to team up again with The Voice, a wonderful local business, to bring you this special edition. This time we are focusing on the council’s finances. The global economic situation means that your council faces an unprecedented challenge. Along with other local authorities, we are seeing increasing demand for services, rapidly rising prices and reduced income. Our prudent financial management has put us in a position of relative strength. But, despite significant savings, we have an increased gap in our finances for 2023/24. This means we will need to make further savings and that will involve some tough decisions. No one wants to do this and I’m acutely aware this comes when people are finding it hard to manage. It’s very important to us that you have your say. You’ll find out more in this edition and how you can find support if you’re struggling with the cost of living. Read on too to learn about our schools’ fantastic performance, how to nominate a community hero, progress on a new park and many other stories. Council faces tough financial choices the start of the 2023/24 financial year, we will have already delivered £102 million of annual savings by working tirelessly to focus our resources on delivering our council plan priorities.    “However, the current scale of challenge is too large and too urgent for us to be able to rely solely on this approach. We now need to find ways to cut services or change how they are delivered. We will do these in the least disruptive and detrimental way possible to continue supporting those who need it most.”  The outcome of the Govern- ment funding settlement expected later in the year could improve the financial outlook. After the council has received that updated information, it will publish detailed four-year budget proposals for further public comment. The council will make final budget decisions in February The council is in a strong financial position going into this crisis because of: • £2.3m underspend in 2021/22, saved for expected inflationary pressures this year • Early spending controls implemented for this financial year • Estimated £2m saving in fixing energy price until March 2023 SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT BUDGET CONTINUED Struggling with costs? Help is at hand The current rising cost of living is impacting on us all. Prices are going up and energy bills are climbing fastest of all. But no one should be embar- rassed to ask for help if you don’t have enough to afford essentials and pay your bills. There is extra government support and help available from local services. Your council offers a wide range of support including emergency and long-term support, help with housing benefit, various financial support grants and council tax reduction schemes. It can also help provide food and activities for children in the school holidays. You can visit one of the council’s three One Stop Shops in person where someone will be on hand to answer questions, resolve problems and offer advice. Or you can find de- tails of support along with links to trusted national and partner resources on the council’s website at southglos.gov.uk/costofliving Keep healthy and happy this winter Winter, and worries over finances, can take a toll on your personal health. Did you know that the council offers plenty of free health and wellbeing support? Provided by the council’s partner Southern Brooks, activities range from tea and chat to help you reach out and connect, through to workshops on building resilience. Find out more about how you can access these free activities and other health and wellbeing support at oneyou. southglos.gov.uk To help yourself to have a healthy winter, make sure you and your family’s vaccines are up to date. The time to boost your protection with a vaccine if you’re eligible, is now. The UK Health Security Agency is expecting a double threat of low immunity and widely circulating flu and covid-19, creating an unpredictable winter and additional pressure on health services. Free flu jabs are available to anyone over 50. Over 65s, pregnant wom- en, people with certain health conditions or who work in some frontline jobs, can book now. You simply call your GP or book at a pharmacy. For covid jabs, first, second and booster vaccines are available at local clinics. At the time of writing this, autumn boosters are available to over 65s, pregnant women and anyone over 5 with an underlying health condition. Book with your GP or find a local walk-in clinic at bnssghealthiertogether. org.uk/covid Nominate your community hero! Do you have a hero in your community? Know someone special who vol- unteers? South Gloucestershire Council wants to hear from you about the volunteers who make a difference in your area, from litter picking groups, to the befriending volunteers who brighten people’s days. The Chair of the council, Cllr Sanjay Shambhu, is calling for nominations of people who have made a difference to be put forward for the Chair’s 2022-23 Commu- nity Awards. You can nominate a person or a community group and it’s very easy to do. The deadline is Friday 18 November and all the information on the awards, including how to make a nomination, can be found on the council’s website at southglos.gov.uk/communityawards. 2023.  However, it first wants to hear from South Gloucestershire residents. Have your say We will be running two phases to this year’s consultation. The first phase starts in October and asks for your views on the council’s draft budget proposals. The second phase will run from Tuesday 6 December and will ask for your views on updated budget proposals which will consider up to date information on what funding will be available from central government and the options that we have for balancing the council’s budget. As a local resident, it is important that you have a say in how we shape services in the future and our budget consultation is a key part of this. View the budget at www.southglos.gov.uk/ budget and then send your comments: • By email: consultation@southglos.gov.uk • By completing an online survey or download from the council website: www.southglos.gov. uk/budget • By writing to: Freepost RTXL-YJXJ-BXEX, South Gloucestershire Council, Corporate Research & Consultation Team, Council Offices, Badminton Road, Yate, Bristol, BS37 5AF • By telephoning 01454 868009. www.southglos.gov.uk advertising supplement2Recycling success More than 2,000 South Gloucestershire homes are taking part in an exciting trial of a new flexible plastic recycling scheme as part of their normal weekly recycling collections. Selected households in Bradley Stoke, Chipping Sodbury and Olveston are participating in the first year of the potential three-year trial which is part of the drive to increase the amount of packaging that we can recycle to protect our environment, including plastic bags, confectionary wrappers, foil lined packaging and plastic film. Government figures on national recycling rates show South Gloucestershire is now recycling 60 per cent of all its waste. The council had the fifth highest recycling rate of all councils of its kind in the country in 2020/21, an amazing success by everyone involved. Green light for nature projects The council is looking at ways to protect and conserve wildlife and nature across the area. It is a key part of the council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, for which it was scored in the top-10 of councils in the UK, recognising the commitment to deliver real change. Several nature projects have been given the go ahead, including as part of the new local plan. One such project is Frampton End Farm nature reserve, near Frampton Cotterell where planting new trees and wetlands will help act as a carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide emis- sions and tackling climate change. At Siston Common in Kingswood, hundreds of local volunteers recently came together to plant over 7,000 wildflower plants in the new meadow created by the council. The mass planting marked the start of the Commons Con- nections, the Wild Belt project, a £1.26 million project to increase, improve and better connect important habitats across South Gloucestershire for nature that will also include the planting over 6,000 new trees to help address biodiversity decline. Improvements will be made to links between registered common land, unimproved grasslands, woodlands and associated habitats along the South Gloucestershire and Bristol border. Tree and wildflowers will be planted, alongside the conservation of grassland habitats and pond creation and restoration. The council will create a brand-new biodiversity-focused park at the former Warmley Pitch and Putt golf course to support nature recovery in the community. The council asked residents to choose where the park should be and received nearly 200 responses with the most popular choice being the former golf course. The park will also aim to include space that is accessible for everyone, providing a stimulating and relaxing environment for the whole community. Consultation on what might be included as part of the new park will start in November and on the council’s consultation website at southglos.gov.uk/consultations Tackling the climate emergency South Gloucestershire is taking action to respond to the climate emergency with many initiatives to help residents and organisations play their part in helping the planet. Cllr Steve Reade planting wildflowers with Max and Kady Stuart Following its success last year, the council’s tree voucher scheme is back. To mark National Tree Week (Saturday 26 November – Sunday 4 December), the council will be offering vouchers that can be exchanged for trees once again to residents to improve the tree coverage in South Gloucestershire. The council is aiming to plant enough trees by 2030 to double its tree canopy to improve biodiversity and keep its local environment healthy as part of its response to the climate and nature emergency. Tree Week coming up Community planting in Page Park, Staple Hill www.southglos.gov.uk advertising supplement3Spotlight on learning Schools success South Gloucestershire is making great strides with education, as demonstrated by its recent Ofsted reports. Over the last five years, its schools have moved from 35 per cent Good or Outstanding at Secondary and Post 16 to 71 per cent. And, as of 31 May this year, 83 per cent of all its schools (including Primary) are rated as Good or Outstanding. This means 32,432 of the area’s young people attend a Good or Outstanding South Gloucestershire School, compared with 6,036 pupils in 2017. Building blocks of learning in Winterbourne and Frenchay The new Frenchay Church of England Primary School opened its doors to pupils last month. The £11 million building on the former Frenchay Hospital site will accommodate 420 pupils – up from 140 at its former Victorian home on Frenchay Common, where it had been since 1842. The building is designed to the standards of environmental organisation Passivhaus, meaning it will have a very low carbon impact on the environment. Benefiting from an £800,000 investment from the council’s Climate Emergency Fund, the design includes high levels of insulation, triple glazing, low energy LED lighting, heating provided by air-source heat pumps and recycling of heat through a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system, which also ensures good air quality throughout the school. The school will use electricity only, requir- ing no fossil fuel consumption on site, and generate its own zero carbon energy through photovoltaic solar panels on the roof, with any surplus energy feeding into the national grid. Meanwhile, work is underway building Elm Park Primary School’s new facilities. Two build- ings will replace the Winterbourne school’s existing premises over two phases, ultimately providing places for 210 local children to learn in high quality classrooms. The first phase is expected to cost around £11 million, provided by the council, and will open for pupils at the start of term in September 2023. Also designed to Passivhaus standards to minimise environmental impact, the new buildings will transform the existing site with eight classrooms and state-of-the-art facilities providing community-use spaces in- cluding a hall, multi-use outdoor sports pitch and playing field. This is all part of the council’s continued investment in schools with £82m capital investment since 2019 and last summer more than £2.2m was spent on improvements and maintenance. Summer Reading Challenge Six thousand children took part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge at South Glouces- tershire libraries, with primary school children reading nearly 100,000 books over the school holidays. Libraries and The Reading Agency partnered with the Science Museum Group for this year’s challenge, which helps to build children’s reading skills and confidence. The science and innovation theme, named ‘Gadgeteers’, was designed to spark children’s curiosity about the world around them and celebrate the role of the imagination in both reading and the sciences. Parents and carers said the challenge had been great to keep children reading over the summer holidays and the free events really helped to involve and encourage children to be part of the challenge. Well done to all those who took on the challenge. Cllr Ben Burton and Cllr Erica Williams with Headteacher, Carol-Marie Bond, plus local councillors and representatives from BAM Construct UK. Cllr Rachael Hunt with children receiving their Summer Reading Challenge certificates and medals www.southglos.gov.uk advertising supplement4Next >

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