Purpose

Confirmation on the 2026/27 Council Budget
Report, 2026-2030 Medium Term Financial Strategy and propose the
Council Tax level for 2026-27

Decision

Report title: 2026/27 Council Budget Report
and 2026-2030 Medium Term Financial Strategy
 
Presented by: Councillor Chris Wilkins,
Cabinet Member for Finance
 
Summary:
 
Cabinet:
 
1.        
Noted the requirements of Section 106 of the LGA 1992 Act as
set out in Section 1 of this report
 
2.        
Noted the Medium-Term Financial Position and the Budget
setting process of the Council as set out in Section 3 of this
report
 
3.        
Noted the key assumptions and risks to the 2026/27 budget as
set out in Appendix A of this report
 
4.        
Noted that the medium term financial strategy presented in
this report still leaves a financial gap of £82.3m in 2028/29
even after the full impact of the fair funding review grant
increases and a 4.99% Council tax increase for the next three years
have been applied
 
5.        
Noted the latest revenue monitoring position as set out in
section 3 of this report;
 
6.        
Noted the savings proposals as set out in Section 4.10 and
Appendix C of this report, approved by Cabinet in November
2025. These savings reduces the Council’s budget gap by
£23m from 2026/27 to 2028/29.
 
 
7.        
Agreed the proposed Fees and Charges schedule as set out in
paragraph 4.11 and Appendix D and for officers to proceed
with implementation of the proposed fees and charges, subject to
consultation where required.
 
8.        
Agreed the proposed 2.99% increase in core Council Tax for
2026/27 and the proposed additional 2% Council tax increase for the
Adult Social Care Precept as set out in paragraph 4.12, in line
with the Referendum Limit approved by Government also referred to
in paragraph 4.12,;
 
9.        
Agreed the proposed Council Band D basic amount of Council
Tax for 2026/27 of £1,914.15 being the amount calculated by
the Council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the
basic amount of its council tax excluding the GLA precept for the
year (as set out in section 4.13 of this report
 
10.       Agreed the
proposed Council Tax requirement for 2026/27 to be set at
£174.421m as set out Appendix E of the report, which
is an increase from £164.361m in 2025/26.
 
11.       Agreed the
budgets proposed in this report and as set out in Appendix
F
 
 
12.       Noted the
Schools budget and DSG as set out in Appendix G of this
report
 
13.       Noted the S25
Statement of Robustness as set out in Appendix H of
this report and the Council’s financial position of requiring
Exceptional Financial Support in 2027/28 and 2028/29 on the current
forecasts set out in the Medium-Term Financial Plan.
 
14.       Agreed the
Council Tax Support Scheme for 2026/27 as set out in Appendix
I to this report (unchanged from 2025/26).
 
15.       Agreed
Council Tax discounts for early payment to be given at a rate of
1.5% as set out in Appendix J of this report.
 
16.       Agreed to
direct officers to disregard War Pension income in the assessment
of Housing Benefit as detailed in see Section 11 and Appendix
J and authorises the Chief Executive to approve any policy
required to effect the same.
 
17.       Agreed the
policy change set out in Section 11 to include the disregard of
Armed Forces Compensation in the calculation of contributions for
Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG)
 
18.       Noted the
Equalities Impact Assessment in respect of the Council Tax Support
Scheme as set out in Appendix K to this report and the
overall Equalities impact assessment for the Council report set out
in Appendix L
 
19.       Noted that in
the event the Capitalisation Direction is not awarded to the value
requested before the Full Council meeting on the 4th March, the
Strategic Director of Resources (S151 Officer) will be required to
issue a S114 report.