Mayor Chris Cooke plans to invest more than £6m in priority services. The investment is possible after the Council’s hard work on finances and increased funding from government.
The Council’s Executive will be asked to approve a budget which would then be voted on by all councillors.
We’ve summarised 11 main proposals below.
Youth services in every ward
An extra £300,000 would make sure children and young people in every part of town could go to a youth club or take part in activities outside school.
Free pest control service
More than £150,000 would be spent on offering a free pest control service to residents having problems with pests including rats.
Parks and open spaces
The budget includes a combined £800,000 for new play park equipment, repairs and park rangers to spruce up all open spaces for people to enjoy.
More events
A £500,000 plan would bring more events for people of all ages to different parts of town. There would also be improvements to Middlesbrough’s museums.
Doubling our team of caretakers
Last July the Council introduced a team of 16 caretakers to carry out work on all estates and boost street cleaning. The plan is to double the team to 32, allowing them to do more great work.
Helping the areas that need it most
New government data on deprivation shows some areas need more help than others. One proposal would see £150,000 spent per area in parts of Berwick Hills, Hemlington, Newport and Saltersgill.
Making our town safer
Feedback from residents is clear. People are concerned about crime and antisocial behaviour. The budget includes proposals to spend £650,000 on strengthening the Council’s CCTV network, employing more enforcement staff and helping police on specific issues involving young people. Extra school holiday clubs
The government funds holiday clubs at Easter, in the summer and at Christmas. The budget proposes spending £250,000 to extend the clubs, which offer healthy food and activities, to half-term weeks.
Giving under-10s the best start
The Council has started working with primary schools to give children aged 10 and under access to 10 potentially life changing experiences. Extra money for the 10 x 10 programme will mean more children get the opportunities they deserve.
Boosting jobs
Middlesbrough is one of the best places in the country to grow a digital business. Supporting these companies will help to keep well-paid jobs in Middlesbrough and attract new investment.
A total investment of £580,000 would also fund a new jobs specialist to help support local people into work at our new Employment Hub.
Supporting and protecting people
The Council’s Adult Social Care teams work with people to help them live safer and more independent lives.
An investment of £870,000 would see more projects with adults with complex needs, including dedicated work with women. There would also be extra occupational therapy and a focus on the housing needs of vulnerable people.
Council tax
No increase in the general council tax is proposed. Bills would go up by 2% with the £1.5m raised going towards the increasing costs of the Council’s legal duties in looking after vulnerable adults.
‘Investing in services that really matter’
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said: “This budget will help improve the look and feel of our town and boost the future life chances of children and young people.
“From youth clubs in every ward, to a free pest control service and more caretakers to work on our streets, it concentrates on the things that make a difference to people’s everyday lives right across the town.
“I’ve been making the case for Middlesbrough and lobbying hard so that we got a fairer funding deal. It’s pleasing that we can now put forward over £6m of investments in services that really matter.
“With a positive budget and exciting regeneration projects like the Southlands Centre, the redevelopment of our Old Town Hall and the new secondary school in Middlehaven, this can be a real year of progress for Middlesbrough.”
‘This budget only includes what we can afford’
Councillor Nicky Walker, Executive member for Finance, said: “Robust management of the Council’s finances and a much-improved settlement from government mean we’re able to present a much more optimistic budget this year.
“The investment we’re planning into everyday services for people of all ages, across all of Middlesbrough, is much needed.
“Rest assured, we will continue our work of the past three years to closely monitor all spending. It’s that diligence that has helped get us to this position and it is vitally important that this budget only includes what we can afford, while still cementing our financial position.
“It’s pleasing that we’re not proposing any increase in core council tax. The 2% increase people would see on their bills would go purely towards funding the increasing costs of our legal duties in looking after vulnerable adults.”
What happens next
The Mayor and his Executive will vote on whether to approve the budget proposals on February 4. If they do, all councillors would make the final decision on the budget in a vote on February 18. The changes to services would start to take place from this summer.
