Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: February 25, 2026

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to set the Revenue Budget and Council Tax for the 2026/27 financial year. It also updates the Council’s 5 year Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) in the light of those decisions.

Content: DECISION: The Cabinet agreed to:           I.         Recommend to Council to set the Council Tax Requirement for Enfield at £184.874m for 2026/27 as set out in the Statutory Budget Determination in Appendix 1 to the report.     II.         Recommend to Council to set the Council Tax at Band D for Enfield Council for 2026/27 at £1,757.16.    III.         Note that the Band D property rate in 2026/27 for Enfield will be £1,757.16. This includes a 2.99% general Council Tax increase and a 2.00% Adult Social Care Precept and represents an increase of £1.60 per week.   IV.         Note the Council will levy a Council Tax of £510.51 at Band D on behalf of the Greater London Authority which is a 4.10% increase: equivalent to an increase of 39p per week for a Band D property.     V.         Note that the combined increases will lead to a Band D property total of £2,267.67, a 4.79% increase on the 2025/26 level, equivalent to an increase of £1.99 per week for a Band D property.   VI.         Note the Council’s Section 151 Officer’s statutory Section 25 Statement at Appendix 2 which provides their opinion on the robustness of the budget and the adequacy of the Council’s reserves when making final decisions on the 2026/27 budget. VII.         To agree to the proposed General Fund Net Revenue Budget of £438.969m for 2026/27. VIII.         Approve in principle the final list of efficiencies and savings proposals for 2026/27 totalling £11.960m, as set out in Appendix 9, noting also that final decisions on these savings or income proposals will be subject to equality impact assessment, consultation and formal decision making in the usual way.   IX.         Recommend to Council to approve the latest General Fund Medium-Term Financial Plan estimates for 2026/27 to 2030/31 set out in Table 3 and to note the estimated budget gap of £34.5m at the end of that period.     X.         Note the forecast levels of Council usable reserves as set out in Appendix 11b.   XI.         Recommend to Council to approve the planned transfers to and from reserves in setting the budget for 2026/27 as set out in out paragraph 66. XII.         Approve the Reserves policy for 2026/27 as set out in Appendix 11a XIII.         Approve the one addition to the fees and charges schedules for the People department as per Appendix 12. XIV.         Recommend to Council that it approves the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Policy as at Appendix 13 and to approve that any in-year changes required to the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Policy is delegated to the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement and reported to Cabinet in the quarterly Revenue Monitoring reports XV.         To note the feedback from the Budget Consultation at Appendix 14a. XVI.         To note the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting on 19 January 2026 following its consideration of the draft budget which are set out in Appendix 14b of this report. XVII.         Recommend to Council that it agrees the schools (DSG) Budget for 2026/27 as set out in paragraphs 94 to 112 and Appendix 15.