Your Council Tax 2023-24

About the County Council

Staffordshire County Council is the top-tier local authority in Staffordshire, in the centre of England. It covers the areas of East Staffordshire, South Staffordshire, Tamworth, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Stafford, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and the Staffordshire Moorlands, but excludes the city of Stoke-on-Trent.

Staffordshire is a predominantly rural county, but has its fair share of successful market towns and flourishing businesses. It has a growing population of around 900,000 residents.

The county council is made up of 62 councillors, elected every four years.

What we do

The county council is responsible for:

• Social Care
• Public Health
• Education and Early Years
• Highways and Transport
• Household Waste Recycling (tips)
• Economic growth in the county

Housing, waste collection, street cleaning, environmental health, planning and leisure are the responsibility of our 8 district and borough councils.

Dear resident

The last year has seen some monumental changes both nationally and globally. The aftermath of the pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine and the rising cost of living has meant many people across Staffordshire have personally felt the effects of these events.

As a county council, we remain focused on helping our residents, businesses and communities as they continue to cope with the rising cost of living. We are supporting the most vulnerable and working with partners to make sure people can get the advice and help they need to manage rising costs.

As a well-run, financially stable county council, we continue to invest in Staffordshire and its people. To meet our legal responsibilities, around two thirds of our budget will be spent on social care and supporting young people in 2023-24. With the added pressure of inflation, we must invest wisely, live within our means and deliver value for money.

Over the next 12 months we will continue to act on climate change and reduce our carbon emissions. We will fix and upgrade more roads and improve major gateways into our county. We will invest in our economy to make sure Staffordshire is a place that attracts new businesses and supports existing ones to grow, creating more good quality jobs. Added to this, our investments in new and existing schools, skills and fibre broadband will create opportunities for our people and make a real difference to their lives.

We know that these are challenging times. People are under financial pressure and we do not want to add to the burden. However, your council tax directly funds our essential work. We must continue to care for the people who need us the most, and invest in our future, in the face of rising costs and increasing demand for support. So in April we will be increasing council tax by 4.99 per cent, the equivalent of £1.34 per week for a Band D property.

Even with this rise, Staffordshire’s council tax remains one of the lowest of any county in 

England, and will allow us to continue helping those who need it the most. 

Alan White

Leader of Staffordshire County Council

Where our money comes from

Last year's figures

Making the most of your money

 Last year's spend

Staffordshire County Council’s Aims

Vision:

An innovative, ambitious and sustainable county, where everyone has the opportunity to prosper, be healthy and happy.

Outcomes:

Everyone in Staffordshire will:

• Have access to more good jobs and share the benefits of economic growth
• Live in thriving and sustainable communities
• Be healthier and independent for longer

Priorities:

• Support Staffordshire’s economy to grow, generating more and better-paid jobs
• Encourage good health and wellbeing, resilience and independence
• Tackle climate change, enhance our environment, and make Staffordshire more sustainable
• Offer every Staffordshire child and young person the best start in life, and the chance to achieve their potential
• Fix more roads, and improve transport and digital connections

How we work:

• Encourage our communities to help themselves and each other
• Lead our workforce to be ambitious, courageous and empowered
• Use digital technology and data to connect, inform and support the people of Staffordshire
• Engage and listen to our communities, partners and business, working together to improve our county

Pledge:

Live within our means and deliver value for money

Energy and Climate Change

We are reducing our energy use and switching to green energy at every opportunity. By 2050 we aim to be a net zero organisation, meaning that we take as much carbon out of the atmosphere through things like tree planting, as we put in through our transport or buildings. 

We are switching the bulbs in our street lights and buildings to LED, and r unning many of our gritters on vegetable oil. We are upgrading schools and buildings to be more energy efficient. 

There are small things we can all do to reduce carbon emissions, and save money too:

Switch to LED bulbs

LEDs use less electricity, reducing your carbon footprint. Lighting makes up 11% of the average home electricity use, so making the switch will help you save too.

Get into composting

One of the best ways to look after the environment, reduce emissions and save money on green waste collection. You can buy a discounted compost bin for £10 on the Get composting website by inputting your postcode.

Turn heating down by 1 degree

This small change will reduce carbon emissions and be good for your wallet too. You can also cut your electricity bills by turning appliances off rather than leaving them on standby.

Visit your Household Waste Recycling Centre

We recycle more than 47,000 tonnes of waste each year in Staffordshire. But lots of items that could be recycled still end up in our general waste. Learn more about what you can recycle on our waste and recycling pages, or visit your local Household Waste Recycling Centre. Our staff are always on hand to help

More information on energy saving can be found on our Here to Help pages.

 
Areas of Investment