Purpose

To approve the Council’s Revenue Budget
and Capital Plan Budget for 2026/2027 including the setting of fees
and charges for Council services and Capital Strategy.

There are currently a number of unknown elements in respect of
Government’s financial settlement including the implications
of the Autumn Budget expected end November 2025 and the
Government’s provisional local government finance settlement
due to be announced in December 2025. The Cabinet will launch its
draft budget for six weeks consultation at its Cabinet meeting on 2
December 2025, with the final recommendations being considered by
Cabinet and Council in February 2026. As the budget proposals will
not be submitted before 8 February 2026, Standing Orders F2.7 to
2.11 will not apply (whereby the Council provides any objections to
the Cabinet to review before determining the budget).

Decision

1.    that the budget
proposals for 2026/27 are launched for consultation running until
midnight on 18 January 2026 and that the Overview and Scrutiny
Board be asked to provide feedback as part of that
consultation;
 

2.    that the Chief Finance
Officer be given authority to amend these budget proposals for any
technical adjustments necessary between services and within the
overall envelope of funding in agreement with the Leader of the
Council;
 

3.    that, should the Local
Government Finance Settlement due to be announced in December 2025
materially affect the proposed budget proposals, the Director of
Finance be requested to present an update report to the Overview
and Scrutiny Board and Cabinet in January 2026; and
 

4.    that the Chief Finance
Officer report to the meeting of the Cabinet on 17 February 2026 on
the implications for 2026/2027 as a result of these proposals
currently being considered and the consultation results, in light
of the final settlement which is expected by early February
2026.

Reasons for the decision

To enable the
consultation process on the proposed Revenue Budget and Capital
Plan for 2026/2027 to begin.

Alternative options considered

Alternative options
were not considered.