Council publishes proposals for mid-year budget

Southampton City Council has today published a mid-year budget to incorporate the manifesto pledges of the new Administration

The budget includes a range of investments which are designed to help the city bounce back from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall package of additional capital investment is £26.4 million over the next two years, with an additional £3 million per year for revenue projects. These investments will be used for a range of new initiatives that will be implemented immediately, and for some longer-term policies and projects. The full set of proposals can be found on our website.

The budget proposals are due to be agreed at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet on 19 July before going to a vote at the Full Council meeting on 21 July.

Councillor Daniel Fitzhenry, Leader of Southampton City Council said: “I am delighted to be putting forward our ambitious budget proposals as we look to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting and creating jobs in the city. The council has played a crucial role in keeping people safe over the last 18 months or so, and we now have an equally crucial role to ensure we create an environment in which our business and residents can flourish to their full potential. This budget is the first step in creating an air of energy and enthusiasm for our amazing city and to Get Southampton Moving to new levels of prosperity and growth.”

Councillor John Hannides, Cabinet Member for Finance and Commercialisation added: “This mid-year budget is our first opportunity to implement some of the things we know people in the city want to see. We firmly believe that we need to invest to grow and this budget is the start of that journey. We are aware that financial challenges lie ahead, and we are already working on longer-term budget proposals to tackle these, ensuring the council and indeed the city grows stronger and more resilient in the future.”