The Wiltshire Council meeting on 24 February 2026 focused heavily on the council's budget for the upcoming financial year and the medium-term financial strategy. Key decisions included the approval of the Wiltshire Council Budget 2026/27 and Medium Term Financial Strategy Update 2026/27-2028/29, alongside consideration of alternative budget proposals and several amendments. Public participation addressed concerns ranging from parking tariffs and HGV routing to renewable energy scheme deliverability and the council's digital strategy.

Wiltshire Council Budget 2026/27 and Medium Term Financial Strategy Update

The council debated and considered its budget for 2026/27 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2026/27-2028/29. This involved scrutinising updates and amendments to the initial proposals.

Updates to the Budget:

• Household Recycling Centres (HRCs): A decision was made to remove the proposed saving associated with the closure of Lower Compton and Purton Household Recycling Centres. This means these sites will remain open beyond August 2026, funded initially by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) funding and subsequently by the base budget for the northern HRC. The rationale for keeping these sites open was to ensure continued service provision until a new northern facility is operational, with Purton receiving a longer extension due to greater travel distances for its users. Concerns were raised about the affordability of original proposals from Hills Waste Solutions Ltd., with the renegotiated deal offering greater flexibility and lower fees.
• Community Transport Grant: Planned savings from the removal of Community Transport Grants were reversed. This decision reinstates grants, providing £55,000 to the LINK scheme and £60,000 for other community transport projects, including support for vulnerable people. Funding for 2026/27 will come from Section 106 Funding, with subsequent years covered by savings within Adult Social Care budgets. This move was supported due to the value of community transport in enabling older adults to access services and reducing reliance on more resource-intensive provisions.

Amendments to the Budget:

• St Stephen's Place, Trowbridge: An amendment proposed by Councillor Stewart Palmén sought to replace a £5.1 million capital scheme for property investment at St Stephen's Place with a £2.5 million capital budget allocation for the freehold transfer of the St Stephen's Multi-Storey Car Park. This was argued to save capital financing costs and deliver revenue savings in the MTFS.
• Second Homes Council Tax Premium: Councillor Nick Baker proposed introducing a 100% council tax premium on second homes. This was predicted to raise £1.5 million in additional revenue annually from 2027/28, which could be used to alleviate budget and staffing pressures, and potentially bring housing onto the market for first-time buyers.
• Empty Homes Council Tax Premium: Councillor Nick Baker also proposed charging a 100% council tax premium where a property has been empty for one year, altering the current policy of a two-year waiting period. This was estimated to generate an annual increase in council tax income of approximately £0.705m.

Alternative Budget Proposals:

Councillor Richard Clewer presented an alternative budget, arguing it offered a coherent three-year financial plan with an additional £10 million in savings over the MTFS. Key aspects included:

• Adult Social Care: Proposals to review commissioning and contracts, potentially saving £2.5 million in 2026/27, with £0.5 million reinvested in reviews to ensure care appropriateness. Outcome clauses were proposed to incentivise providers to reduce care costs over time.
• Highways Maintenance: An additional £4.2 million in revenue funding for highway maintenance over the MTFS was proposed, arguing it would ease future capital financing borrowing costs and save an estimated £0.33 million in interest costs in 2027/28 and 2028/29.
• Lane Rental Scheme: Introduction of a Lane Rental scheme was proposed to generate an additional £1.2 million in income, with £750,000 to be invested in highways in 2026/27. This scheme aims to incentivise utility companies to complete roadworks efficiently.
• St Stephen's Multi-Storey Car Park: The alternative budget proposed deleting capital spending on maintenance and demolition, advocating for a strategic pause to review the issue and potentially challenge a covenant requiring parking on the site.
• Parking Tariffs: The plan included sufficient revenue allocation to avoid the proposed changes and extension of Sunday parking charges.
• Melksham Bypass: Re-profiling allocations for the Melksham Bypass was proposed, allowing Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding to be reallocated to depots and freeing up an additional £1.2 million annually for highway investment.
• Second Homes Council Tax Premium: The alternative budget proposed removing the extra revenue from applying the second homes council tax premium, citing issues with its implementation in other councils.

Amendments to the Alternative Budget:

• Green Energy Tariff: Councillor Mike Sankey proposed removing the green energy tariff on purchased energy, which was estimated to save £0.03 million over the MTFS period, primarily in 2027/28.
• Residual Waste Collections: Councillor Ed Rimmer proposed removing the saving associated with moving to three-weekly residual waste collections, creating an additional cost pressure of £3.402 million over the MTFS period.

Public Participation

Several members of the public submitted questions and statements on various issues:

• Parking Tariff Consultation: Revd Dr Philip Ritcher questioned whether the outcomes of the Parking Tariff 2026-2028 Statutory TRO Consultation would be respected, even if it impacted the council's budget. The Cabinet Member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding assured that all feedback would be carefully considered and that any changes would need to follow strict statutory requirements.
• HGV Routing in Seend: Councillor Debbie Savage, Chairman of Seend Parish Council, raised concerns about the volume of HGVs using Seend High Street rather than the designated A365 advisory freight route. She enquired about the timeline for a detailed delivery plan to enforce HGV routing compliance and when residents could expect relief. The response indicated that a Freight Plan was being produced, with measures to manage freight movements to be set out, aiming for publication in Spring 2026. Additional signage and engagement with freight operators were also being considered.
• Public Transport Funding: David Redgewell, representing the South West Transport Network & Railfuture, asked about the budget allocated for public transport, including buses, coach stations, and station improvements. Wiltshire Council's revenue budget for public transport in 2026/27 was stated as £7.067 million, with an additional £3.131 million in DfT grant funding. He also enquired about the retention of 403 coach services and proposals for upgrading transport interchanges. The council confirmed they were scoping their capital/bus infrastructure program for the next four years and had no current proposals to withdraw integrated tickets.
• Planning Enforcement and Development: Malcolm Exeter raised concerns about a barn building associated with Application PL 2021 04663 (Enforcement ENF 2025 01023), citing deviations from the approved design, including additional roof lights, open side areas, and increased air vents. He questioned the lack of response from the Enforcement Department. The council apologised for the lack of response and stated that the landowner's planning agent had been contacted regarding alleged breaches, with a request for a retrospective planning application. The council would await a response before assessing further enforcement action.
• Renewable Energy Schemes and Grid Connection: Steve Holt of Potterne Solar Action Group and Mary Gillmore of CPRE Wiltshire presented data suggesting Wiltshire was approving more solar and battery schemes than the grid could realistically deliver, with many unlikely to be built before 2036. They questioned how the council ensured it did not approve schemes with little prospect of delivery. The council acknowledged the schemes listed as approved, except for Hoopers Pool solar farm, and stated that connection issues were primarily a risk for development promoters, with planning inspectors taking a long-term view on connections. They also noted that permitted renewable energy proposals would inevitably result in sites not being used for other purposes in the interim.
• Sunday Parking Charges in Salisbury: Sue Gilbert raised concerns that proposed Sunday parking charges would unfairly affect church attendees in Salisbury. She enquired about the consideration of a park and walk car park or a Sunday Church Voucher Scheme. The council stated that no decision had been taken on parking tariffs, and any proposals would be subject to formal statutory consultation.
• Household Recycling Centres (HRCs): Chris Caswill questioned Councillor Ian Thorn and Councillor Paul Sample regarding negotiations with Hills Waste on the HRC issue and the discrepancy in extension periods for Purton and Lower Compton HRCs. Councillor Sample clarified that contractual discussions were at officer level and detailed his attendance at site visits and a public meeting, stating he did not participate in direct negotiations on the HRC issue. He explained the different extension periods based on the availability of alternative HRCs for users of Lower Compton. Mr Caswill also asked for an assessment of the relative costs of new HRC sites versus continuing with the current ones, and for costing of a proposed booking system. The council stated that cost information was commercially sensitive, but an indicative cost for a new site was included in budget papers. The booking system was described as a trial with proven benefits in other authorities, estimated to save £0.452m annually.
• St Stephen's Place Car Park Safety and Business Rates: Peter Histed questioned Councillor Helen Belcher OBE regarding the withholding of important safety information for the St Stephen's Multi-Storey Car Park and the financial standing of Patet Ltd, the owners of Castle Place shopping centre. The council stated that the information was commercially confidential but that recent works were prompted by a structural engineer's report and met safety standards. They were unable to comment on proposed developments by Patet Ltd or confidential matters relating to business rates.
• Digital Strategy: Peter Histed also questioned Councillor Mel Jacob about the omission of a digital strategy from the budget and plan, highlighting its potential for IT/ICT savings and broader efficiencies. Councillor Jacob reassured that the council could set a legal and balanced budget without an adopted digital strategy, but acknowledged its importance and stated that work was underway to develop a new strategy.
• Net Zero Carbon Target: Andrew Nicolson of Wiltshire Climate Alliance asked Councillor Paul Sample about the council's progress towards its net-zero carbon target and the impact of removing the green energy tariff. The response indicated that verbal responses would be provided at the meeting.
• Housing Register Numbers: Councillor Phil Alford questioned Councillor Adrian Foster about the accuracy of figures provided regarding the number of people on the housing register. Councillor Foster apologised for inaccurately quoting the number at a previous cabinet meeting and clarified the current figures.

Questions from Members of the Council

• Housing Register Figures: Councillor Phil Alford asked Councillor Adrian Foster, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Development Management, and Housing, for an apology regarding the use of inaccurate details about the number of people on the housing register and for stating that Councillor Alford had inaccurately made a claim. Councillor Foster apologised for the error in quoting the figure and for any offence caused.