Budget 2022/23 Consultation

We asked

The consultation on the council’s 2022/23 budget was open for six weeks from 5 November 2021 until 17 December 2021. Individual responses were received via the survey and additional responses were received from organisations and individuals via email.

More information about what we consulted on is available in the consultation survey.

You said

We received 1,304 responses to the Budget consultation 2022/23, the results of which are available in the Budget 2022/23 consultation report.

Increase in Core Council Tax 2022/23

A majority (842 respondents, 65%) favour an increase in core Council Tax to support general services in 2022/23*. Of these:

• 582 (45% of all 1,304 respondents) favour a 1.99% increase;
• 260 (20%) favour a 1% increase;
• 444 (34%) would prefer no increase to core Council Tax and;
• 18 (1%) did not give a view.

Increase in Adult Social Care Precept in 2022/23

A majority (740 respondents, 57%) of respondents favour an additional 1% Adult Social Care Precept (on top of core Council Tax) to support the delivery of adult social care.**

539 (41%) respondents would prefer no increase to Social Care Precept in 2022/23.

25 (2%) did not give a view on Social Care Precept.

Six proposed approaches to saving money and generating income

1,281 (98%) of the survey respondents gave their views on one or more of the of six money saving and income generating approaches that are proposed to bridge the forecast budget gap in 2022/23. Of these:

• 95% agreed with the proposal to improve efficiency;
• 90% agreed with the proposal for digital transformation;
• 87% agreed with the proposal for property and capital investment;
• 78% agreed with the proposal to be more business-like and secure more external resources;
• 65% agreed with reducing the need for direct services;
• 51% agreed with redesigning, reducing or stopping services.

*1.99% is the maximum amount the council can raise Council Tax in 2022/23 without holding a local referendum. This limit is set by government.

** The council is allowed to add a Social Care Precept of up to 1% to Council Tax in 2022/23. This is in addition to the permitted increase of up to 1.99% for core Council Tax.

We did

The consultation feedback was taken into consideration in developing final recommendations for the council’s budget which were put to Full Council on 2 March 2022. Full Council agreed the council’s budget for 2022/23.

Council Tax will rise by 2.99%, which includes 1% to support Adult Social Care.

Further details are available on the Full Council meeting page.

You can view all Council meetings at democracy.bristol.gov.uk