Plan aims to deliver value for money

Release Date:  04-Aug-2008

An ambitious plan to keep tax rises as low as possible while freeing up millions to help deliver the council's stated priorities has been unveiled by Bristol City Council's Cabinet today (Thursday, July 31st 2008).

The Medium Term Financial Plan 2008-2011 outlines a broad framework for budgeting by the council over that period. It's publication coincides with the launch of the printed version of the council's new Corporate Plan, which sets out Bristol's top priorities and how the council will work with others to meet them over the same period.

The Medium Term Financial Plan sets the council a 'stretching' target of keeping tax rises at 3.5% in both 2009/10 and 2010/11 while releasing around £20 million in efficiency savings mainly  to reinvest in the priority areas set out in the Corporate Plan.

These include:

• almost £7.5 million for more and better care for older and other vulnerable people;
• nearly £4.5 million for neighbourhood environmental improvements, better grounds maintenance and local sports facilities;
• some £2.5 million for more recycling initiatives and to cover the cost of treating waste.

All are key elements of the Corporate Plan which commits the council to delivering a range of actions under four priority themes:

• Our city: Ambitious Together
• Our city: Making a Difference
• Our city: Safer and Healthier
• Our city: Better Neighbourhoods

Many of the efficiency savings would come from the council's Business Transformation Programme. This aims to streamline management and processes, strengthen commissioning and procurement, reduce office accommodation costs and develop more efficient and value-for-money shared support services to back up frontline teams.

Councillor John Bees, Cabinet Member for Resources and Transformation,said: “This is an ambitious three year plan that shows our absolute determination to minimise council tax rises; deliver better value for money for taxpayers and invest in the priority services that Bristol people tell us matter most to them.

“It isn't intended to be a detailed budget but provides a broad indication of our general financial direction. It won't be easy to deliver and certainly sets us some stretching targets to meet. However, if we can meet those targets we will make a real difference to the most vulnerable of our residents and deliver a safer and healthier city with better neighbourhoods to live in.”

Author:  Simon Caplan

For all media enquiries relating to this press release, please contact Corporate Communications on 0117 922 2650.

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