The three-year budget that will save millions, but still improve the lifestyle of Edinburgh citizens
Difficult decisions had to be made this year so that we can spend your money where it matters – on looking after our city and the people who live in it, especially some of our more vulnerable citizens.
Why WE made the decisions Parking charges
• The 20p rise is the first increase in several years and still makes Edinburgh competitive for a capital city and when compared to other major UK cities such as Glasgow
• High demand for parking means increasing demand on limited spaces
• Public transport is key, but the local economy requires a choice between public and private transport
• Charging ensures regular turnover of spaces. School meals
• Council meals are subsidised through the Scottish Government’s Hungry for Success initiative
• A rise in food prices and inflation requires a 10p increase in school meals from the start of next term
• Using popular salad bars, panini machines and smoothie makers, we are trying to encourage more young people to stay for school meals. Council house rents
• Rents have to rise if we are to generate sufficient investment to bring our housing stock up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015
• When tenants rejected stock transfer, it was made clear that rents would have to rise by 3 per cent, but we have managed to drive this down to 2.7 per cent. School review
• Pupil numbers have fallen sharply in primary schools across the city
• Criteria developed by a cross-party forum of councillors – informed by feedback from parents, head teachers and other stakeholders – will be used to review the primary sector
• The Council is currently building six new secondary schools, due to open in the next three years, so will analyse the impact of these new schools before reviewing the secondary sector
• Any further review would coincide with the new schools opening in 2010/11 so that, if there are changes, children can move straight into new buildings. [IMG3] Museums: Sunday opening
• Sunday is a crucial day for gallery and museum visiting so we must offer this at our key venues – the City Art Centre and Museum of Childhood – to compete with other visitor attractions
• Research shows that Sunday opening is what residents and visitors want |
Over the next three years we will also invest significantly in our roads, pavements and school buildings.
- £5.8 million a year for vulnerable children including those in foster and residential care
- £6.2 million per year for care of older people
- An additional £1.3 million per year to support adults with learning disabilities (on top of the £700,000 agreed in the last budget).
- £19 million over three years in school buildings
- £16 million to rebuild or refurbish five schools in the ‘Wave 3’ scheme
- A further £800,000 to cover rising energy costs
- Keeping Community Education Centres open and £100,000 for activities for children during school holidays.
- An additional £240,000 for street cleaning
- £6 million to improve waste reduction, reuse and recycling, to increase our city’s recycling rates from 30 per cent to over 40 per cent
- £45 million over three years in flood prevention schemes.
- More than £1.5 million for our Festivals
- £6 million over three years to refurbish the King’s Theatre
- £3 million for Tattoo stands
- £1 million for a national photographic centre (subject to matching funding being sourced)
- Funds to allow Sunday openings again at the City Art Centre and Museum of Childhood.
- £21 million for the Royal Commonwealth Pool and Meadowbank
- £5 million to refurbish the Glenogle Baths
- £5 million for parks, pitches and pavilions
- £3.5 million for a new library at Drumbrae.
- £60 million over three years on roads and pavements
- £2.4 million over three years for cycling, walking and safer streets, and a further £500,000 for cycling projects
- Continuing to spend £1 million on supported bus services
- £600,000 to expand the Bustracker real time information system.
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- £3.6 million over three years in housing regeneration
- £36 million for more affordable housing
- Record levels (£32 million) to upgrade our existing Council houses.
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Budget facts: The total revenue budget for 2008/09 is £986 million. Council Tax makes up 22 per cent (£219 million) of this with 78 per cent (£767 million) coming from Government grants. The total capital budget is £331 million