Protect, care and invest to create a better borough.
The council’s budget is important because it sets out how much money we have available and where we intend to spend it as we protect, care and invest to create a better borough.
The financial challenge
Years of austerity, recovery from the Covid pandemic and now a national cost of living crisis mean that making ends meet has never been more challenging for the council.
In 2013 the main revenue support grant given to the council by government was £52 million pounds which was forty per cent of our net revenue budget. Now in 2023, the grant has reduced to £11.6 million pounds which covers just eight per cent.
This means that the remainder of the money we need to continue to deliver services has to come from council tax, business rates and through the income we generate ourselves.
As government funding falls we have also seen an increase in the need for vital but costly adult social care and children’s safeguarding services, as well as support for more and more people who are struggling with the cost of living.
It will be a big challenge to continue to balance the council’s books in the next few years, but our record of strong financial control means we are able to tackle it head on.
Many other councils will not be able to weather this storm in the same way.
Key points in our budget
Every year, we formally review and set our budget plans. Our most recent budget covers the period 2023 - 2024 to 2026 - 2027.
View summaries of the key points in our budget below.
