Budget Amendment

Residents’ Association and Independents Group Budget Amendment Narrowly Defeated

Residents’ Association and Independents Group Leader at Surrey County Council, Catherine Powell forced a narrow vote on her proposed budget amendment at the Council Budget Meeting today, which was ultimately defeated by 43 votes to 33.

The amendment secured wide support from Liberal Democrat, Green and Residents’ Association and Independent councillors. No Conservative councillors voted in favour of the amendment.

Cllr Powell’s amendment called for a voluntary fund to be established, potentially run by Community Foundation Surrey, to support charities to provide more preventative, early intervention and support services to the most vulnerable, including those with additional needs, schools in deprived areas, and older people living in poverty or in isolated rural areas. These are the groups that have been most impacted by the COVID pandemic, and now the cost-of-living crisis.

A similar fund, the Voluntary Community Contribution Scheme, was set up by the then Conservativeled Westminster Council in 2018 and is now in its sixth year. The fund was supported by top rate Band H council tax-payers, but has now been extended to Band G. The fund raised over £1m in its first two years for the City of Westminster Charitable Trust. Projects supported by this trust include tackling rough sleeping, helping lonely people feel less isolated, and assisting young people develop skills for the jobs market.

The Council Tax bands in England are based on how much property would have sold for on 1 April 1991. They have not been updated since.

Cllr Powell stated,
“This budget amendment aimed to bring in much needed revenue to support our most vulnerable residents. It would create an opportunity for those with disposable income who would like to donate to a fund that will support a range of charities to do this. These charities would focus on providing prevention, early intervention and support services to children and young people in particular. The fund would enable residents to contribute to charities they are not already aware of, in addition to the charities that they already support.”

“We have over half a million households in Surrey, more than 200,000 of them in Band F, G or H homes. If, and I understand it is a big IF, every one of these households gave £10 to this fund an
additional £2m would be raised.”

“This is not about removing funding from any of the many wonderful charities that already do such good work in Surrey. This is about creating another opportunity, for those that can afford – and want to – to pay into a fund to support charities providing preventative, early intervention and support services.”

Link to meeting papers and video: Agenda for Council on Tuesday, 6 February 2024, 10.00 am – Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)
For further information please contact Cllr Catherine Powell, 07824516433