BCP Council hosting live Q&A session on ‘brutal’ budget, bringing highest tax rise for Christchurch households, three days after expected approval

BCP Council will host a live question and answer session after a “brutal” budget with a 2.99% tax rise for Christchurch residents is set for approval.

People are invited to submit questions in the run-up to the presentation, which will be hosted by leader Cllr Vikki Slade from 1pm on Friday 23rd February.

She stressed the importance of the council’s leadership explaining the decisions that led to the “unavoidable” tax rise.

Full council is due to approve the budget, which includes the highest precept increase allowed by government, at its meeting on Tuesday 20th February.

As reported by the A&T, cabinet members voted unanimously to approve the 2024-25 budget, calling it both “brutal” and “not as bad as we expected”.

They also voted to collect the full adult social care precept of 2%, and agreed a medium-term financial plan covering the next four years. It was based on a “critical” surplus of £2.8m by the end of the year.

Cllr Slade said: “As a responsible council, we have a legal obligation to balance our budget and provide essential services to support the most vulnerable in our society, keep our communities clean and safe, and maintain core infrastructure.

“Making the necessary savings to achieve this balanced budget has required us to make some very difficult and painful choices.”

She continued: “We’ve been clear about the acute pressures facing the council and caused by years of austerity and recent high inflation.

“But I know our residents are all facing the same challenges, so I welcome the chance to explain both the unavoidable rise in council tax that forms part of our budget, and the work we’ve done to put the council on a sustainable financial footing and avoid the sort of serious government interventions that we have seen in other parts of the country.”

Questions on the budget can be submitted in advance via LiveQandA@bcpcouncil.gov.uk or through comments on BCP Council’s social media posts.

People can also ask questions during the Q&A within the comments section and have them answered in real-time.

The session will be broadcast across the council’s main social media channels, including at youtube.com/bcpcouncil and will be available later for those unable to watch live.