Council opening hours throughout Christmas
Some Westmorland and Furness Council offices will be closed over the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays. Read the full list of Council opening hours during the festive period.
Westmorland and Furness budget
Where our money comes from and how it is spent in our budget.
The budget was approved by the Council during a meeting in February 2025.
You can find information about this in the documents for the Budget Council meeting on 27 February 2025.
How the money is spent
| Area of spend | 2024 to 2025 budget £m | 2025 to 2026 budget £m |
|---|---|---|
| Directorate budget, Chief Executive and Assistant Chief Executive | 3.426 | 4.317 |
| Directorate budget, Adult Services | 67.668 | 74.209 |
| Directorate budget, Children's Services | 59.677 | 61.542 |
| Directorate budget, Enabler Services | 29.289 | 30.983 |
| Directorate budget, Thriving Places | 45.850 | 49.387 |
| Directorate budget, Thriving Communities | 15.494 | 18.557 |
| Directorate budget, Locality Boards | 2.868 | 3.328 |
| Directorate budget, Resources (including Treasury Management) | 40.925 | 42.425 |
| Directorate budget, Transformation, Integration and Improvement | 3.00 | n/a |
| Service expenditure | 268.197 | 284.659 |
| Corporate budget, Precepts paid | 0.503 | 0.559 |
| Corporate budget, Pay and inflation | 14.819 | 16.938 |
| Total corporate budgets | 15.322 | 17.497 |
| Transfers to and from earmarked reserves | (11.018) | 0.420 |
| Net budget | 272.501 | 302.576 |
Where the money comes from
| Sources of finance | 2024 to 2025 budget £m | 2025 to 2026 budget £m |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue support grant | (9.010) | (9.190) |
| Use of specific grants | (3.040) | (1.650) |
| General grants | (30.488) | (38.342) |
| Retained business rates | (63.600) | (64.013) |
| (Surplus)/Deficit on Business Rates collection fund | n/a | (4.276) |
| (Surplus)/Deficit on Council Tax collection fund | (2.700) | (0.577) |
| Total sources of finance | (108.838) | (118.048) |
| Total Council Tax requirement | 163.663 | 184.528 |
Explanation of budget movement
| Budget area | Budget £m |
|---|---|
| Council Tax requirements 2024 to 2025 | 163.663 |
| Change in service expenditure | 16.518 |
| Change in pay and inflation | 2.119 |
| One-off planned use of financial reserves from 2024 to 2025 | 11.018 |
| One-off planned addition to financial reserves for 2025 to 2026 | 0.420 |
| Change in the use of specific grants | 1.390 |
| Increase in government grant income | (8.034) |
| Increase in retained Business Rates | (0.413) |
| Increase in Collection Fund surplus | (2.153) |
| Council Tax requirement 2025 to 2026 | 184.528 |
Council Tax bands
| Band | Unparished basic amount |
|---|---|
| A | £1,279.30 |
| B | £1,492.54 |
| C | £1,705.75 |
| D | £1,918.97 |
| E | £2,345.40 |
| F | £2,771.84 |
| G | £3,198.27 |
| H | £3,837.94 |