Decision

RESOLVED

That Council approved:

a)     The 2026/27 Revenue Budget which includes:

i)                    a net revenue budget of £891.3m (£458.8m including the Dedicated Schools Grant) as set out in Appendix A of the report.

ii)                  a total Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes of £228.948m and an average Band D Equivalent Council Tax of £1,918.23 for North Northamptonshire Council, representing an increase of 2.99% in the ‘core’ Council Tax and a further 2% for the Adult Social Care Precept as set out in Appendix D of the report.

iii)                pressures of £47.3m, including adjustments for the reversal of oneoff funding in 2026-27, and savings, efficiencies and income proposals of £20.1m as detailed in Appendix A of the report.

iv)                the provisional Dedicated Schools Grant budget of £458.8m for 2026-27 as set out in Appendix A of the report

v)                  the draft planned use of, contribution to, and movement in reserves is set out in Appendix A of the report

vi)                the Council has a Corporate contingency budget of £2.4m.

vii)              the recommended Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy as set out in Appendix A of the report

viii)            that Council delegate authority to the Executive Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, Efficiency and Change to agree any necessary variations to the budget prior to 1st April 2026.

ix)                that Council delegate authority to the Executive Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, Efficiency and Change to agree the use of the following reserves which will provide the flexibility to manage the overall budget during 2026-27:

•         Transformation Reserve

•         Public Health Reserve

•         Waste Management Reserve

•         Adult Social Care Reserve

•         Smoothing Reserve

•         Business Rates Retention Reserve

x)                  notes the forecast financial position for 2027-28 to 2029-30, noting that this will be reviewed as further information becomes available and updated as part of the budget process for 2027-28

xi)                notes that the financial position has been based on the Final Local Government Finance Settlement approved on 11th February 2026.

xii)              considers the consultation feedback as summarised in the report and as detailed in Appendix C of the report

xiii)            notes the Equality Impact Screening Assessment as at Appendix B as having been taken into consideration.

xiv)            considers the Section 25 Report of the Executive Director of Finance and Performance (Section 151 Officer) as set out in Appendix A of the report including her review of the robustness of the estimates and the adequacy of the reserves.

xv)              delegates authority to the Executive Director for Children’s Services and the Executive Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) in consultation with Executive Member for Children, Education and Families and the Executive Member for Finance, Efficiency and Change to approve North Northamptonshire’s DSG budgets and Schools Funding Formula and to finalise the funding allocation for schools, in line with North Northamptonshire’s Schools Funding Formula

b)     The 2026/27 Capital Programme as set out in this report, which includes:

i)        the General Fund Capital Programme 2026-30 and HRA Capital Programme 2026-30 as detailed in Appendix A of the report

ii)      the Capital Strategy as detailed in Appendix A of the report

iii)    delegating authority to the Executive Director of Finance and Performance (Section 151 Officer) in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance Efficiency & Change to agree any necessary variations to the capital budget prior to 1st April 2026.

Council Tax setting

That Council approved:

a)     the Council Tax Resolution attached as set out in Appendix D of the report which is based on the budget proposals, and which:

•         Calculates the Council tax requirement in accordance with Section 31A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011.

•         Calculates a basic amount of Council Tax and an amount of tax for each valuation band (the Council element) in accordance with Sections 31B and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992, as amended.

•         Sets an amount of Council Tax for each category of dwellings in each valuation band in accordance with Section 30 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, the names of the councillors voting for the decision, against the decision or abstaining from voting are as follows:

For the decision: 44

•         Cllr D Baker

•         Cllr G Beales

•         Cllr B Benneyworth

•         Cllr J Bone

•         Cllr P Brooke

•         Cllr S Brown

•         Cllr J Carvetta

•         Cllr G Cheatley

•         Cllr S Clark

•         Cllr K Clarke

•         Cllr W Colquhoun

•         Cllr T Conway

•         Cllr K Dudderidge

•         Cllr L Duffy

•         Cllr G Dunsmuir

•         Cllr M Eglin

•         Cllr S Fairhall

•         Cllr J Garner

•         Cllr l Gibbs

•         Cllr M Griffiths

•         Cllr M Haddon

•         Cllr A Hall

•         Cllr J Hakewill

•         Cllr K Harrington

•         Cllr K Harrison

•         Cllr J Howe

•         Cllr B Jameson

•         Cllr C Kellett

•         Cllr B Lovell-Moore

•         Cllr J Lumsden

•         Cllr E McDonald

•         Cllr C McGiffen

•         Cllr D Mclean

•         Cllr C Munday

•         Cllr J O’Hara

•         Cllr M Pengelly

•         Cllr D Rance

•         Cllr L Robinson

•         Cllr P Shackleton

•         Cllr J Towns

•         Cllr V Whitrow

•         Cllr G Wilcox

•         Cllr B Williams

•         Cllr E Wright

Against the decision – 11

•         Cllr W Brackenbury

•         Cllr D Brackenbury

•         Cllr H Harrison

•         Cllr H Howell

•         Cllr D Howes

•         Cllr H Howes

•         Cllr J Humberstone

•         Cllr B Jenney

•         Cllr V Jessop

•         Cllr T Partridge-Underwood

•         Cllr J Paul-Carr

Abstentions – 3

•         Cllr D Dell

•         Cllr S Geary

•         Cllr J Goncalvez

Reason for Recommendations

To ensure that the Council complies with its Constitution and legislative requirements in setting the budget for North Northamptonshire Council from 2026-27

Alternative Options Considered

The budgets have been subject to a formal budget consultation and scrutiny, and the feedback has been considered as part of this process.