East Ayrshire announces 8% council tax rise

East Ayrshire residents will see an 8% increase in council tax for the coming year.

Cuts and savings were agreed to ensure East Ayrshire Council was able to bridge a budget gap of £8.75m this week.

Councillors agreed cuts of £5.36m to council services, with a further £3.26m passed on to East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership and £120,000 to East Ayrshire Leisure Trust.

The savings include a reduction in school crossing patrollers to those routes that meet the minimum criteria, funding cuts for campus cops (£150,000), cuts to primary school swimming lessons (£23,000).

Politics

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A nationwide freeze on the levy ends in April meaning local authorities have made the biggest increases in decades.

However, the planned closure of public toilets in Mauchline was given a reprieve, albeit a temporary one until the next budget.

A proposal to introduce car parking charges outwith Kilmarnock will now be considered as part of a broader review.

Increases to charges, including adult burials, school meals, special uplifts and community day care, were also agreed.

There are also a number of proposals for job cuts, from the deletion of posts, service reviews and non-filling of vacancies.

However, the SNP administration says that, alongside the savings, they were able to put in place significant investment and maintain frontline services, including employment and community wellbeing.

Council leader Douglas Reid highlighted a number of areas of investment.

These include:

£40m Early Intervention and Prevention Fund maintained to tackle poverty, improve public health, and support job opportunities.
£1.5m investment over the next three years to expand Jobs and Training initiatives.
£949,000 per year to extend free school meals to all primary pupils and introduce half-price meals for secondary students.
£75 pre-school clothing grant extended for 3- and 4-year-olds attending East Ayrshire nurseries.
£800,000 allocated for road and pavement improvements in towns and villages.
£770,000 set aside to tackle littering, fly-tipping, vandalism, and irresponsible dog ownership through enhanced community safety measures.
£200,000 to assist active businesses in revitalising town centres.
£70,000 allocated for restoring the vandalised children’s playpark in Shortlees.
£30,000 feasibility study to explore development opportunities for Woodroad Park, Cumnock.

Councillor Reid acknowledge the financial difficulties but emphasised the administration’s commitment to protecting frontline services:

“Once again, this has been a very difficult budget indeed.

“And while we are in a better position than most local authorities in Scotland in terms of diligence and preparedness, we are faced with a series of cuts to services and difficult choices to make for the future of our communities.

“However, as we share the financial pressures, which are having an impact across the country, I am pleased to report that we are still able to present a balanced budget, without the use of reserves, and still maintain our £40m early intervention and prevention fund to address local issues.

“This includes the alleviation of poverty, improving public health, providing new opportunities for jobs, training and supporting local businesses and looking to maintain and improve our local environment is what our communities ask us to do.”

He pointed out that the council received extra money from the Scottish Government, but that the increase in National Insurance contributions meant that the council have “had to find just under £3m, or the equivalent of a 4% increase in Council Tax”.

Cllr Reid added: “There are difficult cuts in this package, but there are opportunities too, as we continue to tackle health inequalities and poverty, provide much needed skills, training and job opportunities particularly for our young people, to help the local labour market, and provide support to small local businesses.

He also said that they would continue to challenge the Scottish Government’s reduction in funding based on population, given the inbalance of population decline in the south of the authority and economic factors.

Cllr Reid said there would be tougher measures against absentee landlords and that businesses would be supported to bring vacant buildings back into use.

There will also be a review of parking services while also supporting businesses to bring vacant buildings back into use.

Cllr Reid said that, in the face of financial pressures, the council was still in a position to make investments.

This includes a £250,000 a year partnership with Centrestage to provide a wellbeing initiative to support mental health and social inclusion.

He said: “This budget reflects our responsibility to invest in jobs, education, and local communities while ensuring financial stability.”

He also promised to maintain discussions with residents, businesses, and stakeholders.

Cllr Reid provided more detail around projects, including maintaining the £40m Early Intervention and Prevention fund that ‘underpins initiatives to alleviate poverty, boost public health, create new job opportunities, and support local businesses.”

He said the Graduate Intern and Apprenticeship Scheme had already helped 231 young people gain placements, with an additional £1.5m to be allocated over the next three years.

He added: “Our proactive approach not only addresses today’s challenges but also lays the foundation for a stronger, more resilient future for East Ayrshire.”