The budget was approved by the Council during a meeting on 26 February 2026.
You can find information about this in the documents for the Budget Council meeting on 26 February 2026.
How the money is spent
| Area of spend | 2025 to 2026 budget £m | 2026 to 2027 budget £m |
|---|---|---|
| Directorate budget, Chief Executive and Assistant Chief Executive | 4.317 | 4.545 |
| Directorate budget, Adult Services | 74.209 | 100.813 |
| Directorate budget, Children's Services | 61.542 | 66.247 |
| Directorate budget, Enabler Services | 30.983 | 34.334 |
| Directorate budget, Thriving Places | 49.387 | 44.811 |
| Directorate budget, Thriving Communities | 18.557 | 17.383 |
| Directorate budget, Locality Boards | 3.328 | 3.128 |
| Directorate budget, Resources (including Treasury Management) | 42.425 | 40.326 |
| Directorate budget, Transformation, Integration and Improvement | 3.00 | 0 |
| Cross-Cutting | 0.00 | (8.348) |
| Pension Contributions | 0.00 | (9.900) |
| Service expenditure | 284.659 | 293.340 |
| Corporate budget, Precepts paid | 0.559 | 0.585 |
| Corporate budget, Pay and inflation | 16.938 | 16.722 |
| Total corporate budgets | 17.497 | 17.307 |
| Transfers to and from earmarked reserves | 0.420 | (9.523) |
| Net budget | 302.576 | 301.124 |
Where the money comes from
| Sources of finance | 2025 to 2026 budget £m | 2026 to 2027 budget £m |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue support grant | (9.190) | (74.067) |
| Use of specific grants | (1.650) | 0 |
| General grants | (38.342) | 0 |
| Retained business rates | (64.013) | (36.471) |
| (Surplus)/Deficit on Business Rates collection fund | (4.276) | 1.460 |
| (Surplus)/Deficit on Council Tax collection fund | (0.577) | 2.025 |
| Total sources of finance | (118.048) | (107.053) |
| Total Council Tax requirement | 184.528 | 194.072 |
Explanation of budget movement
| Budget area | Budget £m |
|---|---|
| Council Tax requirements 2025 to 2026 | 184.528 |
| Change in service expenditure | 8.681 |
| Change in precepts paid | 0.026 |
| Change in pay and inflation | (0.216) |
| Transfers to financial reserves for 2025 to 2026 | (0.420) |
| Transfers from financial reserves for 2026 to 2027 | (9.523) |
| Changes in financial grants | (24.885) |
| Decrease in retained Business Rates | 27.542 |
| Decrease in Collection Fund surplus | 8.338 |
| Council Tax requirement 2026 to 2027 | 194.072 |
Council Tax bands
| Band | Unparished basic amount |
|---|---|
| A | £1,343.14 |
| B | £1,567.02 |
| C | £1,790.87 |
| D | £2,014.73 |
| E | £2,462.44 |
| F | £2,970.15 |
| G | £3,357.86 |
| H | £4,029.45 |