Worcester City councillors have approved a £12.7 million net budget for 2024-25, including a range of initiatives to support residents' top priority of enhancing and sustaining this beautiful city for future generations.
The year ahead will see the City Council investing in the city's heritage and riverside, a new bike hire scheme for the city, new sports facilities, a new bridge across the river Severn and much more.
The budget includes a small rise in Worcester City Council's element of residents' Council Tax bills.
Councillor Lynn Denham, Labour Joint Leader of the City Council for the Labour Party, said: "We know that Worcester residents continue to need our support, so it is important that in our 2024-25 budget we will continue to support a range of community organisations, including the Worcester Foodbank, as well as retraining and upskilling services for residents who are looking to change careers. We will also continue to give financial support for those most at need through our Discretionary Welfare Assistance Scheme."
Cllr Marjory Bisset, Joint Leader of the City Council for the Green Party, said: "Once again residents have told us that their top priority is enhancing and sustaining Worcester for future generations, so I am pleased that we have included several important schemes in the budget to boost active travel in our city. The new bike hire scheme and the completion of the Kepax pedestrian and cycling bridge will be important contributions to achieving the aims of the City Council's Environmental Sustainability Strategy."
As part of the preparation of the budget, the Council carried out an extensive public consultation. This showed that, for the third year running, the most popular of the five themes in the Worcester City Plan was "enhancing and sustaining our beautiful city for future generations".
This is reflected in the 2024-25 budget, which will see the City Council:
- Invest up to £1.9 million in community centres and other facilities to provide opportunities for Worcester residents to re-train and upskill
- Launch a new bike hire scheme, to boost active travel opportunities in the city
- Take steps to enhance Worcester's heritage and riverside through the investment of up to £259,000
- Support the completion of the new Kepax pedestrian bridge at Ghelvuelt Park, opening new routes around the river and further boosting active travel opportunities
- Build and open a new 3G all-weather pitch at Perdiswell, enhancing Worcester's sporting facilities.
During 2024-25, the City Council will continue to invest the £17.9 million it has secured from the Government's Future High Streets Fund. The funding will be used to regenerate the northern part of the city centre, resurfacing the paving around Angel Place, The Cross and the surrounding area; bring empty properties in that quarter back into use; and create a new arts venue in the Scala and Corn Exchange buildings.
The Council will also use £100,000 of its allocation from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support the continued running of its Discretionary Welfare Assistance Scheme (DWAS). DWAS supports vulnerable low-income city households with the cost of food, energy, white goods or other essential items.
Council Tax
The City Council's element of Council Tax will increase by around 1p a day, as permitted by the Government, giving an annual rise of £6.19 for a band D property.
The increase in the City Council's element of residents' Council Tax bills for each property band is:
- Band A - £4.12
- Band B - £4.82
- Band C - £5.50
- Band D - £6.19
- Band E - £7.56
- Band F - £8.94
- Band G - £10.31
- Band H - £12.38
