A COUNCIL's new spending commitments closely mirror those set out by its near neighbour, including a scheme to delay the prospect of it going bankrupt.

South Oxfordshire District Council approved its budget for 2020/21 at a meeting last Thursday night.

The budget makes big commitments to tackle climate change through an emergency work programme, preparing for a new Local Plan, and addressing the long term finances of the council.

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To do all of this, the total council tax required is set to rise from £6,885,620 in 2019/20 to £7,302,795 next year.

This is the equivalent of an extra £5 tax being paid by the average household in South Oxfordshire (band D properties), rising from £121.24 to £126.24 per household.

SODC will vote on a council tax increase this Thursday.

David Turner, SODC's cabinet member for finance, said the Lib-Dem and Green coalition council had 'inherited a serious financial situation from the former Conservative administration'.

Mr Turner said: "The Conservatives were spending £3.3 million a year more than they were taking in in revenue.

"If there is no corrections made, by year five – we have a medium term financial plan – that will have risen to £6 million per year."

He added the council's coffers had fallen short because of a historic problem where previous councils had not raised tax, and reserves were being used to prop up spending.

Mr Turner said the band D council tax average for district councils was £185 paid across a year, whereas in SODC ratepayers only paid £122 a year to the district council.

The council's budget will see it make £200,000 of cuts in 2020/21 to make up the shortfall, and it will also increase fees for some services.

Like the Vale of White Horse District Council, SODC is looking at ways it can make money from some council services.

Both councils want to copy Oxford City Council's use of council-owned companies, which has helped turn a £20 million profit for the public purse in the city.

A total of £220,000 will also be set aside in the 2020/21 budget for a new local plan.

The council’s current local plan is in limbo at the moment, with SODC currently unable to talk about it due to a suspension from Conservative government housing secretary, Robert Jenrick.

The move to prepare for a new local plan is similar to one being taken by councillors in the Vale.

READ AGAIN: Vale of White Horse approves its budget for 2020/21

At the meeting last Wednesday, SODC's Conservative opposition leader Jane Murphy said she wanted supporting the budget as it 'very much resembled the one from the previous year under the Conservative administration.'

She added: "When I look at this budget... I think that very few hard decision have been made – except for increasing taxes and charges, and removing a few vacant posts, it is a slow evolution and not a revolution – and at the end we will still have a £2m deficit, a growing climate emergency and a housing crisis."