Council leader says budget is still uncertain

Initial figures show that the council will receive a 4.1% increase to £233.2m in the draft budget, however, it is believed that most new funding will be ring-fenced by Holyrood.

Extra cash – totalling £90m – is available to councils which do not increase council tax, but Mrs Haslam says this could affect future budgets, and has called for more information.

She said: “As with all SNP announcements the devil is in the detail. While I always welcome additional funding for local government, we need much more information on the implications of this for our core public services.

“Most of this additional funding is ring fenced for health and social care and early years education … both of which are important, but it leads to less money for the bread and butter issues of fixing the roads and emptying the bins, that councils are responsible for.

“Also hidden in the budget is a £268m cut to the housing budget. This will mean fewer affordable homes being built in the Borders to provide high quality housing for the families that need them.

“Covid-19 has cost local governments in Scotland over £800m. Councils are only going to get £259m to cover these costs. We need to see funding reflecting our losses to help us rebuild.”

SNP MSP Christine Grahame has welcomed the extra cash to councils, however.

She said: “In these uncertain and challenging times, the SNP Government has offered stability with a budget that protects vital local services and supports our economy.

“Local council workers have been working around the clock during this pandemic to keep the Borders moving and ensure essential services continue to operate.

“So it’s great news that Scottish Borders Council is set to receive a funding boost for the coming financial year.

“In these tough times, I know that local residents will also be pleased to see the Scottish Government has taken the significant step of supporting local authorities to introduce a freeze on Council Tax bills.”