Cabinet to recommend £697 million budget for Council to approve

 

Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet is set to recommend that an ambitious multi-year budget is put forward to Full Council for debate and approval at its February meeting.

The recommendation follows a public consultation on draft proposals, which attracted more than 350 responses. Under the plans, spending in 2026/27 would rise by £32.7 million compared with 2025/26, taking the council’s total budget to £697.8 million.

The proposed budget includes major investment in road safety, education, and continued support for the county’s most vulnerable residents. An additional £15 million would be spent over the next three years on improving the quality and safety of Gloucestershire’s roads, alongside £2 million over two years to introduce new 20mph speed limits.

Education is also a key focus, with £21.1 million allocated to deliver new special schools in Gloucester and Cheltenham, enabling more young people to be educated closer to home. A further £2.7 million is earmarked for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services.

Adult social care forms a significant part of the capital programme, with £6.55 million committed next year towards the construction of three new care homes, contributing to a wider £57 million investment in the sector.

Household Waste Recycling Centres across the county are set to benefit from £3.9 million of investment over the next four years. Meanwhile, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service would receive £2.5 million for new frontline vehicles, £1.5 million for a new training facility and £1.3 million to improve Cinderford Fire Station.

The public consultation, which ran from 4 December to 9 January, showed that 44 per cent of respondents supported proposals to increase council tax and the Adult Social Care Precept. The council says the increases reflect unavoidable financial pressures and are necessary to maintain essential services.

Overall, the budget proposes raising an additional £27.4 million through a 2.99 per cent rise in council tax and a further 2 per cent increase in the Adult Social Care Precept. For a band D property, this would mean an extra £1.61 per week.

Alongside investment, the council is also reviewing how it operates to generate more income, reduce costs and improve efficiency. These measures are expected to deliver £32.3 million in savings in 2026/27.

Commenting on the proposals, Lisa Spivey, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “I would like to thank everyone who took part in our budget consultation. Your views give us valuable insight into where our communities want money to be spent.

“The financial settlement from Government for the coming years has not been what we had hoped and leaves us in an extremely challenging position. Despite this, I am delighted that we have been able to propose a budget that protects frontline services and invests in what our residents need and rely on.”

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk