Cllr Polly Colthorpe

...to note the update on the 2026/27 draft budget, including information from the government regarding changes to local government funding, the Fair Funding 2.0 consultation response, and the resetting of the Business Rates Retention Scheme.

...to recommend to Council the approval of the Council's Tax Base for 2026/27, calculated at 31,180.16, based on a 97.5% collection rate.

...to ensure continued support for community and voluntary sector partners, a Strategic Grant funding programme of £120,000 per annum was approved for the three-year period of 2026/27, 2027/28, and 2028/29, with grant allocations to individual organizations to continue as previously set out for 2026/27, subject to confirmation for the following two years.

...to support parking sustainability and affordability, the Cabinet approved recommendations for the 2026/27 financial year, including a 5% rise in car parking charges, the reintroduction of a day permit option, further exploration of new permit types (including a business permit for the Tiverton Multi Storey Car Park), and granting additional free parking days to Crediton and Cullompton Town Councils.

... the Cabinet approved the amended list of infrastructure that the Council intends to fund, either wholly or partly, by developer contributions, for inclusion in the annual Infrastructure Funding Statement to be published on the Council's website.