Frontline services “will not be affected” by Thanet council’s £3 million budget shortfall, says leader

Councillor Rick Everitt says it is the first increase in a decade

Costs associated with a possible surge in evictions, falling income from parking fees and planning applications and increased expense for security on beaches and covid-secure public toilets are some of the issues causing a predicted £3million shortfall to Thanet council’s budget.

The Covid pandemic impact on an already depleted Thanet council budget pot has been listed in a report to councillors.

Thanet council is facing a £3.05million shortfall in funding needed for this financial year (up to April 2021). Prior to the pandemic the council was already facing a predicted £1.3million shortfall.

Council reserves are likely to be used to plug the gap to avoid an impact on day to day services, such as bin collections.

Reserves at the 2019-20 year-end were £2 million unallocated and £12.4 million earmarked spending. Thanet has the lowest reserve pot of all councils in Kent and officers say using it could put the authority at risk of a Section 114 notice – effectively meaning all spending would have to be frozen.

Council leader Rick Everitt says the S114 warning is “an amber light, not a red one.”

He said Thanet’s position reflects that of councils across the country with most, if not all, struggling to deal with the Covid impact.

‘We do have resilience’

Some £1.6 million will be taken from the ‘equalisation’ fund. This is used to balances variances, such as council and business tax collections. Other pots being used include £218,000 from the Dreamland reserve and £420,000 from the council election reserve.

Cllr Everitt said: “The whole point of reserves is protection for things you do not expect.

“We are in uncharted waters in terms of Covid-19 and its impact on everyone’s finances. Our position is not significantly out of line with the average position in the country. Almost all local authorities are struggling financially, not just because of extra expenditure but also lost income.

“We do have resilience and are able to fund the picture as we understand it.”

Changing picture and a ‘second wave’

However, that picture could change before the report is taken to full council in September which may mean amendments either then or prior to that at another cabinet meeting next month.

Cllr Everitt said: “We do have money to fund services and we are constantly assessing the situation as we see it but if fears of a second wave are correct it will be a changing picture again.”

Cllr Everitt says residents will not be affected by any changes to day to day services and said extra money had already been spent in areas the public had requested, such as security on the beaches, extra bins and extra public toilet cleaning. He added: “These are all things the public are telling us they want but it comes at a cost.”

He did admit that Thanet is likely to feel the brunt of any recession caused by the months of closures, saying: “There is a big increase in unemployment. Thanet always suffers more than other areas in recession so we would expect more impact here than leafier parts of Kent and we need to prepare for that.

“I think the council has performed over and beyond in respect of this crisis with really impressive work from officers.”

Budgets and shortfalls

The authority has a £17.1 million budget to fund services during April 2020 – March 2021.

The pot is made up from council tax,fees and charges, retained business rates and Government funding.

The shortfall, which was already predicted to rise to £2.5million by 2023 before the pandemic hit the country, comes amid plunging income from Government. The Revenue Support Grant to Thanet from central government was £97,000 for the 2019-20 financial year. In 2018-19 it was £809,000 and in 2017-18 the grant stood at £1.446m. This is compared to £6.636m in 2013-14.

A one year settlement of £100,000 was made for 2020-21. Plans to end the government revenue support grant from 2020 were rolled forward to 2021.

Money from the government’s New Homes Bonus has dried up as TDC has not qualified for it since 2016-17, apart from small amounts for affordable housing growth.

There has been additional Covid funding from government of £1.5million with another tranche of funding estimated at £1.1m to come.

Last month Kent County Council (KCC) said it was facing the biggest financial crisis in its 131 year history, it has emerged.

Up to £130million of savings could be required at Maidstone County Hall over the next three years while council tax increases and major cuts to services could be considered.

The county council launched  a four-week consultation on July 13,  inviting residents’ views on spending priorities by visiting the website www.kent.gov.uk/budget and completing the online questionnaire.

Funding gaps and predictions

Risks of a spike in evictions

Overspend £173k (reduced to £153k due to grant funding)

The council invested in new homelessness prevention services, which has had the impact of reducing the use and the cost of temporary accommodation. The number of households in temporary accommodation has reduced from 188 in April 2018 to 60 at the end of June 2020.

This work has continued during the COVID-19 lockdown and a national ban on evictions has further helped reduce the need for temporary accommodation. The evictions ban is due to end on August 23 and there is a significant risk there will be a spike in the number of applications later in the year as cases work through the courts. A spike in casework would lead to an increase in costs.

Covid messages to the public  – cost £20k

Building control – impact of £329k losses

Land Charges – impact of £242k losses

Facilities Management – break even

Loss of £56k as a result of vacant units at the Kent Innovation Centre (KIC) and a reduction in income for Dickens House, both being the impact of COVID-19. Offset by savings associated with leasing costs (£56k).

Waste and recycling

Domestic Waste Collection has a £200k overspend as a result of COVID-19 including an increased need for agency staff, combined with a £62k income shortfall resulting from KCC reducing its enabling payment for the recycling and waste service.

Additional costs of £22k for vehicle hire

Clinical Waste loss of £20k income for clinical waste collection.

Coastal Development – impact of £52k

Licensing Income – loss of £109k income likely

Off Street Parking – Income loss likely of £385k

On Street Parking loss likely £420k

In addition there is a predicted reduced income from the Dreamland car park of  £270k.

Port and Technical Services -impact £421k

Planning fee income loss predicted £100k for the year.

Business Rates and Council Tax admin costs £50k.

Fall in collection of Council Tax £1m.

Reduction in Business Rates collection £600k.

Impact of reduced internal borrowing £175k.

Additional cost of PPE £60k.

Safer Neighbourhoods may incur the cost of establishing community network, community team, possible enforcement changes and public health £112k.

Increased security/provision of toilets £51k.

Loss of income from Your Leisure £160k.

Other Fees and Charges loss £343k

7 Comments

  1. Council reserves are likely to be used to plug the gap to avoid an impact on day to day services, such as bin collections. #
    Garden waste, food waste and house refuse will be collected on the same day and emptied into the same vehicle. This reducing the need of 2 additional vehicles also a saving on man power of 4 people and fuel costs.

  2. Scandalous neglect of the poorest and neediest district in Kent compared with the richest in W. Kent – by a Tory government . General running down of all local authorities by a dictatorial and centralising Tory government.

  3. Is this statement about the waste collection a fact? If so, how do you know about it?

    Recycling is very important and the public should be told whether their efforts are now to count for nothing.

  4. Smoke and mirrors. Anyone who seriously thinks it is only Covid that had torpedoed their finances is deluded. At the Qtr 3 mark in 2019/20 (all pre Covid) TDC admitted to an overspend of over £850k for that point in the year. They were already in deep trouble.

    The problem is years and years of building their budgets on “identified savings” that were totally in the realm of fantasy and that had no hope of being delivered. But they could carry this charade on year to year (they actually make reference to the problem with previous years savings not being delivered in their own reports) and store the problem up for the future. None of the Councillors are sharp enough to spot it and deal with it. The top managers were probably hoping it would only get exposed after they had moved on.

    The problem they have now is that Covid has exposed this budget ponzi scheme and now it has to be dealt with. Predictably though it is all blamed on Covid rather than years of poor financial management, terrible strategic decision making and even poorer scrutiny of the finances by elected members.

  5. It’s about time to get rid of the Cecil Street offices and sell off the multi storey for housing. Most staff can work from home and only smaller offices needed for essential and frontline staff. The offices are falling apart. Hadn’t they earmarked 3m for that?

    • I stand to be corrected but are the margate and ramsgate multi-storey car parks not leased rather than owned and inthemselves been a financial millstone around tdc’s neck. The opportunity to purchase them was declined many years ago. And under the lease are we not responsible for all maintenance , repair and improvements needed?

  6. Thanetcouncil are not the only organisation with (temporary) reduced income,many organisations having less income have reduced the operative head count and or remuneration.
    Maybe time for a TDC shake up from the top down!

    Paying staff with council reserves ?

    Time to sell off some of the property portfolio (not housing) insisting decent housing is created for locals,with a helping hand with planning.

Comments are closed.