CITY leaders are preparing for Government funding to be axed completely in just four years.

From 2015 to 2019 documents show Oxford City Council predicts its revenue support grant will decrease from £4.43m – about a fifth of its income – to nothing.

Executive board member for finance Ed Turner said spending plans outlined by Chancellor George Osborne in the Autumn Statement meant further cuts to local government were expected.

Mr Osborne committed in December to achieving a budget surplus of £23bn by 2020, but did not spell out where the axe would fall.

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Deputy leader of the council Mr Turner told the Oxford Mail: “Losing our revenue support grant is vastly unwelcome, to put it mildly. We will hope for the best, but we have to plan for the worst.”

He said the loss of the revenue grant would mean council funding would come mainly from council tax, business rates and additional income sources.

His comments came as the council asked residents to give feedback on budget proposals unveiled for up to 2019.

The authority’s plans include building 485 new council homes, expanding Seacourt Park & Ride and providing support to people on low incomes.

Taxpayers are being asked to foot a 1.5 per cent increase – £4.10 extra each year for band D homes – to help fund the measures. And council tenants face an average rent increase of £3.59 per week.

In a two-page survey in the Oxford Mail yesterday, the council asked readers to post their answers to a 38-question survey on the measures.

Its proposals amount to £84.85m of net expenditure in the next four years and include:

  • £1.6m extension to Seacourt Park & Ride
  • £500,000 of “cycling and public realm” improvements
  • £1.4m flood alleviation measures at Northway and Marston
  • £1.3m on car park resurfacing.

But Oxford Liberal Democrat leader Jean Fooks said the questionnaire lacked detail and should be made more available.

Mrs Fooks said: “The full plan and budget are only available online. For people who do not have access to the internet, responding will not be an option.”

The Oxford Mail asked council spokesman Chofamba Sithole to clarify the meaning of six questions on the survey, but he said the authority would not be able to do so in a day. A full council meeting will be held on February 18 for councillors to vote on the budget measures.

 

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