RESIDENTS in Wyre Forest are being encouraged to have their say on budget proposals to help plug a £2million funding gap at the District Council.

Service changes and future charges are being considered as Wyre Forest District Council is looking at proposals to close the funding gap, which is estimated to be £2 million by 2024-2025.

The Cabinet’s plans include stopping some discretionary services including a small business grant scheme and phasing out involvement with some leisure facilities.

It is also looking to charge in the future for some services which it currently provides for free. The proposals state that this would only be if government funding does not cover the costs.

It comes as the general Government grant to the council plummeted from more than £1m in 2010 to zero in 2020 and the Government’s New Homes Bonus has fallen from £2.4m in 2016-17 to only £0.243m now.

The authority has also incurred substantial additional costs and lost income due to the Covid-19 pandemic which not been fully covered by the Government.

The Cabinet now wants the views of residents on its plans before more detailed budget proposals are drawn up.

Councillor Mary Rayner, Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Capital Portfolio said: “Over the last 8 years, we have achieved savings of more than £3.3m a year but, despite that hard work, we still have an estimated funding gap of £2m. We are continuing to make efficiency savings and generate more income but we need to make more changes.

"We cannot continue to provide the same number or quality of services we have in the past. The survey is an opportunity for people to have their say on our proposed ways of closing the funding gap.”

The survey is available at www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk/budget and closes at midday on Thursday December 9.

Feedback from the survey will feed into a report on the Medium Term Financial Strategy at the Cabinet’s meeting in December.