Council Leader responds to draft Scottish Government budget

Reacting to yesterday Scottish Government draft Budget announcement, Aberdeenshire Council Leader Cllr Gillian Owen said: “While it’s too soon to fully understand what it will actually mean – in really clear terms – for us as a local authority, there were a number of proposals which could certainly benefit our region.

“As I recently said during discussion around our own draft budget considerations, we’re looking at an estimated gap of more than £50 million for the next financial year. 

"We welcome the proposed £15 billion budget settlement for all Scottish councils, recognising it as an important step toward supporting local authorities across the country. However, as we look ahead to next year, it’s clear that understanding the finer details will be critical to ensuring a fair and sustainable outcome for Aberdeenshire.

“To this end, we must carefully look at the detail in our allocation to determine how much of the funding is directed toward delivering national priorities set by the Scottish Government and how much flexibility remains for the council to address local priorities. 

"The devil really will be in the finer detail, and what will be absolutely critical is that we receive a fair and sustainable settlement for Aberdeenshire next year.

“We note the discussion around Council Tax for next year and we will take time to carefully consider the options now open to us – ever mindful of the impact any increase might have on our communities. We are getting detailed views on this from the public already via our still-open budget engagement exercise.

“Aberdeenshire Council delivers key services that touch everyone’s lives including education, housing, social care, roads and waste collection. But rising costs and increasing demands, especially in Health and Social Care, and ongoing uncertainty about the funding from UK Government to cover Employers National Insurance contributions, are creating financial pressure.

“We note the overall investment of £21billion in health and social care and again we await to see what that means for Aberdeenshire. 

"The proposed £25million investment to support the creation of new jobs in the green energy supply chain in Scotland to tackle climate change and create opportunities for businesses and jobs could be great news for the north-east economy, particularly given the proposals for £150m investment in offshore wind.”