Last month Kingston Council released their plans for the 24/25 financial year. They got approval at the end of February. The headline figure is locals will have a 4.99% rise in council tax. This will be 2.99% council tax plus a 2% levy for adult social care. It is the same increase the majority of other councils in the country will be charging. We want to have a closer look at the plans today, including the reasoning for the increase. Then, if you need help with block management in Kingston upon Thames, you can speak to us.

Why the increase?

Kingston Council said they are increasing the council tax because of financial pressure. They are having to deal with higher costs to provide various services. In addition, demand for key services like adult and children’s social care is increasing. At the same time local government finances are under more pressure due to things like inflation, global conflicts, and funding cuts.

Part of the increase is also to provide additional funding for police, fire, and TfL. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan proposed the increase because the services won’t receive enough funding from the Government. So, an average band D property will pay an extra £37.26 for the year.

People in parts of Wimbledon and Putney will have slightly higher bills too due to a special levy. Residents in the WPCC area will pay to help cover the cost of maintaining the Commons. The estimate is the bill for an average band D property will be £34.58 for the year.

Council spending

The budget to detail how the council will spend money in 24/25 shows how tricky the financial situation is. It is a good idea to look at it if you are considering investing and services like block management in Kingston upon Thames.

The council are planning spending of £178m. However, they need to find an extra £15.7m to achieve this. The council tax increase will go some way to filling the gap.

In addition, the council will look to save £8m and transform how it delivers services between now and 27/28. For one thing, they will cut vacant jobs rather than hiring new staff. They will also be scrapping funding for home to school transport for anyone over 16. Plus, there will be new parking permit areas and stricter enforcement of parking fines all over the borough.

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure the council will be able to continue providing all key services and support for locals. This includes long term accommodation solutions for residents. The borough has one of the biggest problems with households living in temporary accommodation in London. It is a major financial burden for the council with high costs for hotels and B&Bs.

However, there is some concern about the Kingfisher Leisure Centre project. It was not mentioned in the budget announcement. The council had plans to build a new centre to replace the old one. The aim was for it to be complete by October 2024, but work has not even begun. This raises concerns the council won’t be able to deliver it with budget constraints.

Ask us about block management in Kingston upon Thames

Finefair Ltd has a lot of experience with blocks. We know they can be fantastic assets to own, but that they can be tricky to manage. Luckily, we can do it. We work to make services as convenient as possible, and also ensure clients can save money. Plus, we can arrange guaranteed rent too.

So, if you want to learn more about block management in Kingston upon Thames, talk to us. We’re reliable, whether it is large or small blocks.