Despite the difficult financial climate, East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) has earmarked £430,000 in its coming budget to fund community projects through its councillors.

Each of the council’s 43 councillors will have £7,000 to distribute to good causes and community projects in their own part of the district, giving councillors the chance to tackle the issues that matter most to their residents.

A further £3,000 per councillor will also be set aside for green projects, helping the council and the community move towards our environmental objectives.

Last night (Thursday, February 27) councillors voted through a budget that meets the unprecedented challenges faced by councils in the current economic climate and delivers improved services and crucial support for the community.

As well as the councillor grants, a cross-party initiative includes around £100,000 in the budget to put towards enforcement officers focused on littering and parking issues.

Another £100,000 has been set aside for improving car park maintenance and buying digital speed cameras to help keep roads safe.

Cllr Richard Millard, EHDC leader, said: “The economic picture for councils is incredibly tough at the moment, as it is for everyone.

“However, thanks to a successful transformation process, which has made services more efficient and reduced our costs, the council can put more than £400,000 towards a councillor initiatives fund that will give them the power to address local issues.

“No-one knows better what’s going on in a community than the people that live there – that's why it makes sense to give each councillor a funding pot they can use to pinpoint the projects that will make the biggest difference in their neighbourhoods.

“And to help us reduce our impact on the environment and reach carbon net zero, £129,000 will be dedicated to schemes relating to climate change and sustainability.”

Councillors agreed to raise Council Tax by £5 for Band D properties, taking the amount paid to EHDC by those households to £151.92.

The budget has been set in the face of severe financial challenges, including sharp rises in inflation and the Government’s expansion of waste and recycling.

Cllr Charles Louisson, EHDC’s portfolio holder for finance, said: “Despite the difficult financial climate for local authorities, EHDC remains in a very strong position.

“We have achieved a balanced budget by confronting the challenges we face and going through a successful transformation process to make our services modern and efficient.

“Although we have raised our Council Tax, the money that will generate does not even cover the costs added by inflation this year.

“However, the budget we have approved will support our communities, allow our economy to grow and prosper, tackle local and district-wide issues and push us towards our environmental ambitions.”