Council’s Draft Budget

COUNCIL Tax is set to rise by almost five per cent across the city next year.

Councillors are citing an increase in pressures on social services and the rising National Insurance costs as reasons for the rise, as they reveal fresh proposals, which also promise to fix potholes and improve front line services.

Plans for the 2025/26 draft budget propose a council tax rise by the maximum allowed – 4.99 per cent.

The increased charges equate to an extra £1.2million, but the council estimates it may get roughly half back from the Government, as it announces receipt of an extra £7.3million funding from the Government and will use £1.4million from the Accumulated Collection Fund.

The council has also pledged a raft of capital investments, including £4 million extra to fix and resurface more roads and pavements.

Coun Daniel Cowan, leader of the council, said: “This is a positive budget despite continued challenges in the local government sector.

“It’s one that seeks to invest over £25 million into fixing our budget, addressing and accounting for historical pressures to support our services in the immediate term, but also into the future.

“There is significant investment into children’s and adult services of £5.75million into adult social care and £4.75million into children’s services.

“There is also investment on the revenue side into important projects, £185,000 into our civic pride agenda, an additional £100,000 to support events and tourism in the city and increasing the revenue side of the highways budget by £250,000.

“There’s no need for additional borrowing. There is no use of reserves.”

New savings and proposed increased income totalling £3.6million will reportedly make the budget aims possible, making £5.3million when added to previously agreed savings for 2025/26.

Coun Cowan added: “We have been working hard to reduce our forecasted overspend this year.

“This is down to £4.7million by the end of November 2024 and we will continue to work hard to bring this down and reduce the need for use of reserves to balance the budget at the end of this financial year.”

The draft budget will be considered by the council’s cabinet and the council’s policy and resources scrutiny committee on Thursday, January 30.

Any changes to the draft budget will then be considered by cabinet on Tuesday, February 11, with the final budget to be discussed and approved at full council on Thursday, February 20.

Picture: Coun Daniel Cowen says it is a positive budget.

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