‘NO ADDITIONAL savings are needed’ in this year’s council budget as leader confirms predicted government grant of close to £3m is expected.

The Royal Borough Council will soon be revealing its final 2022/23 budget sometime after the consultation on it ends on January 31.

It proposes a two per cent increase in council tax and a one per cent rise in the social care precept – an increase of £33.38 or just less than 64p a week, for band D households.

A draft form was released in November which sparked concern from the opposing Liberal Democrats and Independent group, who feared the budget won’t be balanced if an “assumed” government grant of nearly £3m was not forthcoming.

READ MORE: Reduced government grant could see Windsor & Maidenhead service cuts

Speaking at the November cabinet meeting, Cllr John Baldwin (Lib Dem: Belmont) said this was based on a “best guess” and was “extremely concerned” the council could receive nothing or less than predicted.

But the lead member for finance, councillor David Hilton (Con: Ascot & Sunninghill) said he was “confident” in the finance officers and believed their prediction wouldn’t be “a million miles long” if it was incorrect.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, council leader Andrew Johnson (Con: Hurley & Waltham) confirmed a majority of that grant is forthcoming and was only off by about £20,000.

He said there will be no further or additional cuts to the budget.

READ MORE: Petition to save Windsor & Maidenhead arts fund launched

Cllr Johnson said: “We will not look be looking for further efficiency savings as part of any shortfall in what we’re expecting to receive from government.

“Given it was only an estimate, I think to come around about £20,000 on a figure of nearly £3m was not a bad estimate at all in terms of accuracy. We’re broadly happy with what we got in that regard.

“In terms of budget build for next year, our prediction has more or less landed as we thought it would. So, we absolutely won’t be going back to look for additional savings and all the rest of it.”