A message from the Leader of East Herts Council
Councillors agreed the budget for 2021/2022 at a meeting of East Herts Council’s Full Council on Tuesday.
Managing our budget for the coming years is a challenge in the face of reducing income and increasing demands as a result of COVID-19. Like the vast majority of councils across the country, the pandemic has put a strain on our finances so we have to cut our cloth accordingly in order to protect our vital statutory services for residents and businesses.
The budget for 2021/22 takes into account the impact of the pandemic and changes in rules on the assets we can invest in, with a predicted £2.1 million shortfall of income and additional expenditure due to this. We will meet some of these from our financial reserves in the short term.
Continued financial uncertainty unfortunately means that we will need to raise the council tax rate in April. East Herts Band D Council Tax is set to go up by £5 a year to £179.09 from the new financial year starting on April 1 2021. The rise, which amounts to 10p a week, means that residents of Band D properties will pay £3.44 a week towards funding all services provided by East Herts Council.
We only get to keep 10p of every £1 of council tax collected with the majority going to Hertfordshire County Council along with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire and the parish and town councils in East Herts.
We will be reviewing the services we provide and the way we provide them over the coming months. Our aim is to keep the services we offer broadly the same but the savings we need to make will mean some tough choices ahead. I will continue to update you on this as and when things come forward.
Food Waste Action Week
This week we launched a new campaign encouraging residents to think about the food they waste as part of the first ever Food Waste Action Week.
In East Herts, Food Waste Action Week kicks off a month of activity designed to help make wasting food a thing of the past.
Approximately 70% of the food waste from UK households that ends in the residual waste stream is edible. Not only is reducing food waste a good way to save money but it is also good for the environment.
Through our Facebook and Twitter accounts, we will share knowledge and inspire changes in the way people think about food waste with practical tips on how to drive down the amount of food wasted.
Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.
Cllr Linda Haysey, Leader of East Herts Council
GARDEN WASTE SERVICE
From 1 April residents will need to have signed up for East Herts Council’s chargeable garden waste service if they wish to continue receiving collections of their brown bin. Sign up now.
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Eligible businesses are now able to apply for the latest Additional Restrictions Grant. Find out more.
ELECTIONS 2021
On Thursday 6 May residents in East Herts will go to the polls to have their say on who represents them at Hertfordshire County Council and the Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner as well as several town by-elections. Find out more.
CENSUS 2021
The census is coming on Sunday 21 March. By filling in your census, you will help shape your community for the next 10 years. Find out more.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
PL ANNING APPLICATIONS
Lates News find out more.
