Trafford Council is proposing to increase council tax and reintroduce a garden waste collection charge to help plug a budget gap of almost £26m.
The scale of savings the Council must make to balance its books have been made clear in a stark new report to councillors setting out draft budget proposals for 2025/26.
The current shortfall in cash for essential services follows reductions in the funding awarded to Trafford Council over a number of years alongside sharp increases in support needed by some of the most vulnerable residents in the borough.
Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council, said balancing the books was getting harder and harder every year and councillors now face making some tough and unpopular decisions.
Cllr Ross said: “We have suffered more than £300m of cuts over the decade and a half yet our services are more in demand than ever. This is simply unsustainable, even for a well-run Council like Trafford.”
A recent independent review by finance specialists the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) confirmed that the Council faces historic funding challenges.
Cllr Ross said: “CIPFA recognised we are a financially well-run council but also recognised the funding issues we face.
“We are the lowest-funded council in Greater Manchester and need a fair deal. We called for a fair funding review last year but this has not happened and we are now seeing the consequences.”
Council tax is set to go up by 2.99%, with the adult social care precept rising by 2%.
Trafford residents will still have the second-lowest council tax rate in Greater Manchester, despite the increase.
A draft proposal to reintroduce an annual charge of £45 for collection of garden waste is also being explored.
A similar charge was first introduced in 2017 by the previous Conservative-run administration but abandoned two years later.
Cllr Ross said: “It is becoming harder to deliver key services within budget and so we will consult on reintroducing a charge, in line with the vast majority of other councils across the country and indeed some within Greater Manchester to help us to continue to provide much needed services across the borough.
“The key thing is that the tough decisions we make now will enable us to continue to deliver services and support us to set a balanced budget next April.”
Residents will be asked to have their say on a number of draft proposals over the coming weeks but Cllr Ross said there is no quick fix unless the Council receives more funding.
Cllr Ross said: “This will be one of the toughest revenue budgets that the Council has ever set and we are having to make some difficult choices. However, we will continue to invest in our corporate priorities, including an increase in social care spending for our most vulnerable children and adults.
“We will continue to invest in roads and street cleaning. We will also maintain our capital investment projects in our town centres to deliver a thriving economy for all.
“We will also continue to lobby the Government for a fairer financial settlement for Trafford.”
The budget report will be discussed by the Council’s Executive Committee on Monday 21st October.
