Clackmannanshire Consultation Database

The second phase of the Council’s annual budget engagement exercise ran from 21 January 2025 to 12 February 2025 and sought residents' views on a range of officer policy savings proposals.  

An initial Equality and Fairer Scotland Impact Assessment was published at the same time.

A total of 267 responses were received.

In addition, direct representation was also made by a number of stakeholders.

You told us that impacts were likely to affect residents from the proposals in the budget engagement.  

The greatest volume of responses was grouped around a number of key themes:

• libraries
• education proposals
• council tax
• voluntary sector and charities (specifically CASC/sports clubs/charities)
• environmental services (including street and land maintenance)

Impacts highlighted predominantly would affect younger and older residents and families on lower incomes.  

More information on those impacts can be found in the final budget Equality and Fairer Scotland Impact Assessment. 

You also provided potential mitigations that could be considered by Council. These included mitigations around

• prioritising management savings including reducing head count,
• raising income and cost recovery,
• rationalisation of schools,
• raising income through charges and enforcement action (ie parking) and
• considering reducing services rather than closures. 

Councillors met on 27 February 2025 and agreed the £170.98 million revenue budget for 2025/26.

A 20-year capital investment programme of £248 million was also agreed.

All respondents’ views were taken into account.

Savings of £3.814m were approved. Council also agreed to increase council tax by 13%. Most locally set fees and charges will increase by 3%. 

As a result of feedback received, Council decided not to close Alva and Tullibody CAPs and not to remove the Non Domestic Rates discretionary relief for charities and sports clubs. 

The first phase of the Council’s annual budget engagement exercise ran from 25 November 2024 to 6 January 2025.

The consultation sought views on the Council’s priorities for the next four years and asked residents to provide feedback on the services most valuable to them.

A total of 184 responses were received.

73.91% of respondents agreed that the outcomes were the right ones and 75.54% agreed the priorities remained the rights ones.  

You also told us that the most important services are education and schools, waste collection and recycling, roads maintenance and street lighting, housing and homelessness and services for older people.  

You also told us that Council should consider the following areas to reduce budgets:  

• sell assets or buildings,
• target resources at those that need them,
• work with other Councils or partners,
• focus services on statutory requirements,
• operate fewer buildings and increase council tax.

A summary of the feedback, along with a copy of all feedback and comments received during the engagement, was presented to all councillors prior to the budget setting meeting on 27 February 2025. 

We invited the public to comment on the Community Asset Transfer Request for Marshill House.

We received a comment from a Clackmannanshire resident in favour of the proposal.

No comments against the proposal were received.

Comments from the public are taken into consideration in the assessment of the benefits of the CAT Request to the wider community.  

The CAT Request is scheduled for a decision by Planning Committee in May 2025.