Wiltshire Council’s budget for 2013/14 was agreed at full council today.

Next year the council plans to continue with a programme of investment – investing more than £17 million from the revenue budget to support key frontline services and £143.6 million into capital schemes.

An extra £362,000 was secured in Government grant funding following the publication of the draft plan. Council leaders agreed an extra £162,000 will be distributed between the area boards to focus on children and young people’s initiatives and projects, and £200,000 will go to the school improvement service to help raise standards of education.

In her speech today, Wiltshire Council Leader Jane Scott said the authority is proposing to invest almost £146 million into services and capital schemes.

This will include:

  • An additional £3 million on roads maintenance reflecting local feedback that we need to spend more on highways and potholes including £300,000 more into flood alleviation projects
  • £16.6 million on affordable housing and social housing
  • Almost £39 million to provide the first seven community campuses in Corsham, Melksham, Salisbury, Calne, Cricklade, Pewsey and Tisbury, with sustainable savings through more efficient, modern buildings as well as providing enhanced facilities for our communities.
  • Allocating £38 million into schools to invest in new fit-for-purpose buildings and to carry out maintenance works on existing buildings.

Cllr Scott said: "We are delivering services more efficiently and we are reducing costs by around 10 per cent. But, like any good business, we have to keep our costs down, we still have to make savings just to stand still, let alone make the investments I have proposed."

The financial plan can be found on the council's website at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/wiltshire-council-2012-2013-financial-plan-draft.pdf