Council Budget Approved - Leigh-on-Sea

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Leigh On Sea News: Council Budget Approved – SOUTHEND City Council’s budget for 2025/26 was approved at a Full Council meeting on Thursday February 20

Council Budget Approved – SOUTHEND City Council’s budget for 2025/26 was approved at a Full Council meeting on Thursday February 20

SOUTHEND City Council’s budget for 2025/26 was approved at a Full Council meeting on Thursday February 20, including important new funding for key frontline services and other projects such as boosting civic pride, fixing more roads and pavements, and boosting tourism.

Highlights in the revenue budget include:

£25m of total investment into our services, including;

£285,000 for civic pride plans and more events

£10.5m for children’s and adult services

10% extra for highways maintenance

£6.3m of savings and new income

Highlights in the capital budget include:

£2.5m extra to fix more pavements, in addition to £8.5m already budgeted to March 2027

£1.5m extra to fix more roads, in addition to £6.16m already budgeted to March 2027

£2.5m for fire improvement works

£590,000 for new inclusive playground at East Beach

£305,000 to improve High Street entrance and city signage

£100,000 for cliffs stabilisation and Never Never Land project

Speaking at the meeting Coun Daniel Cowan, Leader of the Council, said: “I am proud that this is a budget that invests in our services, in our staff, in our residents, and in our city as we face the challenges and opportunities ahead, including devolution and local government reorganisation.

“This is a balanced, robust budget that seeks to address historic structural deficits in key services. A budget that right-sizes what we are spending on services, but also sets realistic income projections.

“This budget requires no new borrowing and no use of reserves and includes over £25m of investment in our base revenue position. Investments that we can make because of prudent financial management, and an increase in government funding.

“We want to be a cleaner city, a greener city, a safer city with better roads and pavements, a city that supports local people, a vibrant city that visitors love to come to and a city that looks to the future and positions itself for investment and regeneration under devolution and LGR. This budget does just that.”

Council tax will increase by 4.99% (2.99% for general use and 2% for adult social care) and will help fund the investment needed into frontline and statutory services and ensure that cost pressures can be met in 2025/26.

Read more about the revenue budget investments: https://www.southend.gov.uk/news/article/3259/investment-into-frontline-services-and-boosting-civic-pride.

Read more about the capital budget investments: https://www.southend.gov.uk/news/article/3258/vital-city-projects-set-for-capital-funding.

Watch a video of Coun Cowan talking about the 2025/26 budget on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilLu4sLXU4s

Picture: Coun Cowan talking about the 2025/26 budget on YouTube.

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