Councillors have approved Liverpool City Council’s budget for the next year.
It will see an additional £15.3 million invested in the delivery of frontline services for residents.
The budget includes an extra £1.5 million for neighbourhood services to help tackle issues such as flytipping, street cleansing and blight.
The aim is to build on improvements which have seen a 25 per cent drop in complaints about street cleansing and weeding over the last year.
Changes have included regular maintenance, litter picking and cleansing at 58 new locations, including central reservations, roundabouts and traffic islands; additional litter picks in areas including Kirkdale, Anfield, Picton and Dingle; and monthly cleansing of 850 communal bin stations.
There is also £500k for the School Streets programme to improve road safety around primary schools.
An additional £52 million is being set aside to deal with increased demand for adult and children’s social care, temporary housing and home to school transport. The Council has a legal duty to provide adult and children’s services, and they account for 63 per cent of spending.
Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, said: “This is the most positive budget we have been able to present for some time due to the new government giving greater certainty to councils including future multi-year settlements and a bigger share of funding towards cities like Liverpool.
“The budget continues our investment in the issues we know local people care about such as street cleansing, waste management and improving recycling rates, which is why we are bringing these services back in-house.
“Like all councils, we continue to face real pressures in areas such as adult and children’s social care, temporary housing and home to school transport, and will continue to work with sector partners to suggest longer term solutions to the Government.“
Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Transformation, Councillor Ruth Bennett, said: “We are continuing to make great strides in improving our own financial management to drive up income and make the most of every pound. This is helping manage the demand pressures we face in areas such as social care.
“This rigorous approach is increasing Council Tax collection levels, reducing outstanding Business Rates and cutting the amount of outstanding debt we are owed.”
Council Tax bills will rise by 4.99 per cent in Council Tax, including two per cent ringfenced for adult social care. The majority of households in Liverpool – 59 per cent – live in Band A properties, and will see the charge for the council services element of their bill rise by £84.04 per year.
6th March 2022: Liverpool's Town Hall, in the north west of England city of Liverpool. The building was designed by John Wood the Elder in 1749, with additions and changes to the building over the years. It is preserved as a Grade I listed building, with ornate and grand civic rooms and the city's Council Chamber inside the Georgian styled building.
