Major £1.5m cash injection to improve environment, highways, health and wellbeing

Efforts to keep our streets clean and other key Council services are set to get a boost as part of the Blackburn with Darwen Council’s budget proposals for 2022/23.

The extra investment of £1.5m will pay for improvements in environmental services and highways. This includes more staff to support litter picking, bin emptying, maintaining green spaces and parks. Road markings will also be repainted and signs replaced this year to improve safety and help deter anti-social behaviour.

Another priority is to fund extra access to free leisure activities this year to give a boost to residents’ health and wellbeing. Libraries will also be opening their doors for longer.

Council Leader Mohammed Khan CBE said:

“It’s been another difficult year yet we want to invest back into community services when we can.

“We’ve listened to residents and know that for many clean streets and highway services are what people want to see more investment in.

“We have an army of volunteers who have created our very special Red Bag Revolution with really active litter picking groups in both Blackburn and Darwen.  We see the result of their hard work every day and this extra investment will support them and lead to further improvements.”

Other plans included in the budget include working with communities to support climate change goals in the borough and support for vulnerable children.

Now in its final stages, the borough’s new Local Plan sets out how development and growth requirements across the borough up until 2037 will be met. It includes the £250 million transformation of Blackburn Town Centre, including the former Thwaites site and proposed relocation of Morrisons, and the £90m Darwen Town Deal investment plans. There are also proposals for a new Household Waste Recycling Centre for the borough which would significantly upgrade the borough’s existing facilities.

Council Tax makes up 39% of the Council’s income to help fund services. The Council relies on Government funding, local business rates and other income including grants, fees and charges to make up the remainder of its budget.

Since 2010 the Council has had to make cuts of over £140m, over 40% of its overall budget. The Government’s in its funding settlement continues to assume that all Council’s will increase their Council Tax by the maximum. The general increase proposed in Blackburn with Darwen is 1.99% and 2% which is to be used solely for social care services.

Councillor Khan added:

“The Council provides hundreds of services and has started a conversation with people young and old, businesses and partner organisations to see what matters most to them in a post-pandemic world this will help shape the Council’s direction and future priorities.

“We are also asking for the Government to commit to fair funding for our Council’s services so that need is always taken into account especially given the massive impact cost of living rises will have on the communities that we serve.”