Published: Tuesday, 16th January 2024
We are once again setting our budget for the borough and whether you live, work or travel into Oldham, we want to give you the opportunity to have your say.
Government cuts to council funding mean that budgets get smaller every year but demand for our services from local residents who desperately need our support continues to increase year on year.
This means that money gets tighter and we are being forced to take £30m out of our budget over the next two financial years, this means we have some difficult choices to make.
At the core of our decision making is protecting the vital services for our most vulnerable residents, like ensuring your elderly parents or grandparents have the right package of support available to them or protecting some of our most vulnerable young people. All the while ensuring we are able to continue delivering the day-to-day necessities that keep our streets clean and the borough safe for all.
That’s why we’re asking our residents and businesses two key questions:
- Where do you think the Council should save money?
- What areas do you think the Council should be spending money on?
Leader of Oldham Council, Cllr Arooj Shah, said: “Times are tough and we’re feeling the same pressures as our residents.
“Price rises, like fuel and energy have affected the Council, just as they have affected your household budget too, and like you, we have to make ends meet and balance our budget.
“We’re having to pick up the costs of national crises in housing and social care and unfortunately that cost has to be taken from current budgets and services.
“No one comes into local government to cut services, quite the opposite, but as you’d expect, more and more local people need our help and we have to find ways to do that and prioritise those that need us the most.”
Councillor Abdul Jabbar, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Resources, said: “Oldham is not in a unique position; all local authorities are having to commit to spending reductions in order to tackle the response to the rising demands we all face.
“Now the consultation has launched, we would encourage everyone to get involved and have their say on how we shape our final plans.”
Currently, 60p in every pound the Council spends goes towards looking after the most vulnerable – caring for children where their parents aren't able to and keeping our elderly cared-for residents safe and warm.
Our environmental services account for 25p in every pound the Council spends, which goes towards vital public services such as emptying over 31,000 bins every week and keeping the parks safe for our children.
Around 6p in every pound of our budget is spent on public health, with less than 10p in every pound of our budget then remaining for all the rest of the Council’s spend – such as libraries, leisure, and customer services.
You can tell us which areas you think we should spend money on, and where you think we should save, by taking part in the consultation on the Council's website, here
The consultation period will run from today, Tuesday 16 January, until Friday 9 February 2024.
Councillors will then make a final decision on budget proposals at Budget Council on February 28.