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 |