Budget 2010/11

Northumberland County Council set a budget for 2010/11 that sets out how the available resources will be spent during the current financial year.

Councillors have approved a gross budget of £754m to provide council services to residents across the whole of Northumberland.

The agreed budget sets out savings of just over £16m to help the council deliver a viable overall budget for 2010.

While it is impossible to ignore the impact of the worst recession to hit the UK in many years the budget still represents strong investment in council services including:

• More than £350m to provide top class education and children's services for young people across the county.
• More than £44m to look after highways, roads and transport services.
• An additional £1.5m to repair potholes.
• £139m to provide adult care.
• £22m for Fire and Rescue services across Northumberland.
• £1.3 to help voluntary, community and not-for-profit groups deliver local projects and activities.

This year, council tax will be increased by 2.8 per cent. This represents a rise

of one per cent less than last year's average rise of 3.8 per cent across the County.

This is an increase of about 72p a week for an average Band D property.

The total budget is made up of funding from the government (17.2%), council tax payments (19.8%), the use of reserves (0.4%) and other income such as grants and awards or charges collected for providing some council services (62.6%).

More detailed and technical information about the 2010/11 budget including the official council reports are available online.