Council budget

What services does the council provide?

The council is one of the largest employers in the area, with over 10,000 employees, who provide over 600 services to over 143,000 households and businesses in towns, villages and hamlets covering some 930 square miles.  

These include social care for the elderly and vulnerable, the construction and maintenance of roads, parks and other infrastructure, planning and building control services, waste collection, environmental health services, the provision of schools, libraries and museums, as well as many other local services.

Like all large public sector organisations, we manage our resources very carefully and aim to do more with less money.  Since 2010, the government has reduced our funding significantly and we have had to make tough decisions in order to meet this challenge.

What is the council's draft budget and four year financial plan?

The draft budget proposals and draft financial plan for the period 2023-24 to 2026-27 are set out in the document below:

Draft Council Business Plan 2023 Update and Financial Plan 2023-24 to 2026-27 (pdf 7mb)

Can business rate payers respond to the council's budget proposals?

The council has a legal duty to consult with business rate payers concerning the council's draft budget proposals. 

The council's revenue budget can be viewed in the section above.

This consultation was in place until 30 January 2023 and has now closed.