• A 4.84% increase in Council tax for 2020/21
• The average ‘Band D’ Council tax figure will increase by £56.58 a year
• Council of the Future change  programme is modernising service delivery
• Capital programme investment of £265million over the next five years in schools, roads, paths and playpark upgrades

Falkirk Council has agreed a 4.84% increase in Council Tax for 2020/21 that will see an average ‘Band D’ Council Tax figure increase by £56.58 a year – and remains one of the lowest in mainland Scotland.

1.84% of the increase in Council Tax will be ringfenced to allow the Council to fund a number of specific projects totalling £24million including:

• CCTV – Analogue to Digital (£980k)
• Connected Falkirk – digital learning for children and young people (£9.6m)
• Roads maintenance (£7m)
• Participatory budgeting (£3m)

The Council’s revenue budget was also set on 26 February and will see around £355million spent in communities across the area over the next year.

£68.9million was allocated to the Integration Joint Board (a partnership with NHS Forth Valley) to deliver adult social care and health services across the area and Falkirk Community Trust received £10.9million to provide sport, recreation, arts, heritage and library services.

Specific areas where spending will take place include:

• Children’s Services (including schools, nurseries, criminal justice and community learning) will receive just over £206million
• Development Services (roads, street lighting, economic development, planning, waste and environmental protection will receive £27.3million
• Corporate and Housing (including support and democratic services, finance and HR services and Council Housing will receive £27.5million
• Social Work Adults Services (property & fleet transport and mental health services will receive £3.7m)

Last year the Council set out how it will deliver transformation and savings while achieving the best outcomes for communities in its five year Business Plan. Wave 2 of the Council of the Future change programme is now underway with a wide range of ambitious projects designed to deliver transformational change and significant savings.

Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council said: “Ultimately the budget is not easy to deliver given all the competing demands for our resources. However, this year’s budget will continue to deliver services to those who need them most.

 “Large scale investment is being made across all our services most notably extending six of our schools and the early year’s expansion with just over £7million committed for 2020/21.”

As part of its budget, investment programmes across the Falkirk Council area were also agreed to run over the next five years helping to fund major projects and work to improve the area. In total £265million will be committed to a number of projects:

• An extension to Maddiston primary school (£2.5m)
• Early years expansion (£4m)
• Energy efficient street lighting (£2.87m)
• Playpark upgrades (£336k)

The capital budget for the new HQ/Arts Centre was retained at £45m & delivery options are to be provided to meet this budget.

On 22 January 2020 the Council agreed its Housing Budget with £316m committed over the next five years for improvements to existing homes and provision of new additional homes.

Full information will soon be available on our budget pages.