Page 7 - City Life Magazine - Spring 2022

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LEADER’S MESSAGE

Dear residents, create a new community facility in
the Comer Gardens Institute.
At the end of last month the City
Council met and set the budget The budget also allocates £80,000
for the year ahead. This marks to further improve street-cleaning in
the end of several months of hard the city as well as money to support
work by officers and councillors our enhanced measures to tackle
in pulling together the ideas and the problems caused by gulls.
projects that we hope will help
continue Worcester’s progress Seeking to protect the vulnerable
and improvement. The budget this in society has also been a theme of
year has been helped by additional this budget and, as such, we have
money from the Government which allocated £10,000 for a campaign
has recognised that Covid has had to combat drink-spiking as well as
an impact not just upon the Council £45,000 to support the invaluable
Marc Bayliss but also on the residents and work of the Worcester Foodbank.
businesses it serves. I am grateful There is also a further £40,000 to
for the work our MP, Robin Walker, support Worcester’s Citizen’s Advice
and others in Parliament have Bureau and the help it offers to
done in making the case for local residents in need.
authorities to receive this additional
funding. I believe that, taken together, the
measures in this budget will make a
In addition to the services and lasting impact on the quality of life
projects we have already committed for people in Worcester, and also
to, this year’s budget also allocates support our city’s economy as we
£1 million more to a range of emerge from the pandemic. I am
initiatives across the City including: proud that we have achieved this
an additional £200,000 to install while also keeping Council Tax as
more electric vehicle charging points low as possible, in recognition of the
in council car parks; £100,000 to cost of living pressures that people
create a new play area off Cotswold are facing.
Way in Warndon, with environmental
enhancements; £60,000 to help the This budget really is helping us to
city’s communities celebrate The Build Back Better in Worcester.
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Kind regards,
Games; £48,000 to support
improving biodiversity in the city; Marc
£60,000 to build a new BMX pump
track which will enhance activities Councillor Marc Bayliss
for young people; and £140,000 to Leader – Worcester City Council

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