Your Council Tax 2021-22

Dear resident

We are enduring a time unlike any other. A year when Staffordshire people are pulling together, demonstrating immense community spirit to support loved ones, neighbours, businesses, and their communities.

The coronavirus vaccine programme is speeding our return to normality, but we know many people and businesses will face challenges for months and years to come. So 2021-22 will be a year of recovery and renewal for Staffordshire, when the county council will do everything possible to connect with, listen to and help our communities.

Staffordshire is a well-run, financially stable county council. We will continue to spend your money wisely and well to care for our growing ageing population and rising numbers of vulnerable children.

We will invest in transport, technology and business sites to create the conditions to reignite and grow our economy. We will raise Staffordshire’s profile and showcase our incredible assets to attract investment and businesses to the county, and create more good, better paid jobs, to reverse the unemployment created by the pandemic.

This also means improving education and training, so people can learn the skills they need to get the jobs they want.

Our ambitions for Staffordshire are unchanged. We want to help people stand on their own two feet, get good jobs, live in decent homes, and enjoy healthy lifestyles. We want to make Staffordshire a green, low carbon place to live and work.

Your council tax is crucial, funding the essential work we do for people and businesses. From April the county council tax element of your bill will increase by less than 18p per day if you live in a band D property. This still means council tax in Staffordshire is one of the lowest of any county area in England.

Alan White
Leader of Staffordshire County Council

Making the most of your money

Where our money comes from

Our total income is £1,110.0m. This money comes from five sources, including your council tax.Around a third is handed directly to schools who decide how this money is spent.

Of the remaining money a large portion can only be used for specific services such as Public Health.

We have £572.7m available for day-to-day services for Staffordshire people over the coming year.

Living in Staffordshire

Jobs and growth

• 79% of residents are in employment - higher than regional (75%) and national (76%).
• Economic Growth Programme has created and safeguarded 9,100 jobs despite the challenges of COVID-19.
• We're delivering £365m of income economic investment. Including i54, Lichfield Southern Bypass and the Stafford Western Access Route.

Great place to live

• An extra £5m to fix 30,000+ potholes (compared with 20,000 in a typical year).
• Delivered an initial £6.9m of local highway and transport improvement schemes.
• £2m additional investment for locally identified community highway priorities.

Health and wellbeing

• 82% of residents are satisfied with their lives.
• Over the past 5 years, smoking associated deaths have fallen and are lower than the national average.
• The number of fuel poor households continues to fall and is lower than the national average.

Skills and education

• 94.3% of working-age residents have qualifications.
• European Funding has helped 25,000+ residents to improve their skills and employability.

COVID-19 in numbers

Supporting Staffordshire people in 2020-21

• More than £26m invested in building new schools or upgrading classrooms and facilities in Staffordshire in the last 12 months.
• In 2020-21, £6.9m of road and transport improvements were delivered to improve road safety, walking and cycling routes.
• Our fleet of almost 40 gritters and snow ploughs treat a 2,500km long road network.
• More children will be moved out of care and into permanent homes following the launch of Together 4 Children, a partnership with Shropshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Telford and Wrekin Councils.
• The Staffordshire Warmer Homes initiative is helping people heat their homes by installing fully funded central heating in up to 1,000 eligible properties.
• We are improving children’s emotional wellbeing through a schools based programme that trains staff and promotes the support they can tap into for children and young people.
• More than 60 community projects received grants totalling £86,000 to help people stay independent, healthy and supported in their local area.

Stay connected

We will continue to listen and work with you to make the best use of our resources. If you have suggestions about how we might do things differently, please let us know:

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