Issue - meetings

The Council considered a report presenting the revenue and capital budgets together with proposals for increases in Council Tax and the Adult Social Care Precept for 2026/2.

An amendment was moved by the Labour Group (attached to the online record) calling for an exemption for public conveniences contracts and all charity and voluntary sector contractors from the list of “top 25 contracts” targeted for savings and a business case for a Discovery card.  This was lost on a vote.

An amendment was moved by the Green Group (attached to the online record) calling for additional software to accurately model changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme.  This was lost on a vote.

On a motion from Councillor Kevin Guy, seconded by Councillor Robin Moss and RESOLVED that, in accordance with rule 3.1.15 (Suspension of rules), rule 3.1.34 be suspended to allow the length of speeches for the Budget debate to be varied (NB: unless otherwise stated, all mover speeches 5 minutes, all others 3 minutes).

On a motion from Councillor Mark Elliott, seconded by Councillor Kevin Guy, it was

RESOLVED that

1.  The Council approves:

·  The General Fund net revenue budget for 2026/27 of £193.17m and the individual service cash limits for 2026/27 as outlined in Annex 1.

·  The savings and income plans outlined in Annex 2(i), funding requirements 2(ii), in conjunction with the Equalities Impact Assessment Report in Annex 3.

·  An increase in general Council Tax of 2.99% in 2026/27 (an increase of £54.51 per Band D property or £1.05 per week).

·  An increase of 2.00% to Council Tax for the Adult Social Care Precept in recognition of the current demands and financial pressures on this service. This is equivalent to an increase of £36.46 on a Band D property or £0.70 per week.

·  The movement in reserves outlined in Section 5.6 and the adequacy of Un-earmarked Reserves at £12.58m within a risk assessed range requirement of £12.00m - £13.20m.

·  To note the Children’s Services management plan update set out in paragraphs 5.2.65 to 5.2.66 of the report.

·  The Efficiency Strategy attached at Annex 4.

·  The Capital Programme for 2026/27 of £110.219m including new and emerging capital bids outlined in Annex 5(i), planned sources of funding in 5.8.10, and notes the programme for 2027/28 to 2030/31 and that any wholly funded projects coming forward during the year will be added to the Capital Programme in line with the Budget Management Scheme.

·  The delegation of implementation, subject to consultation where appropriate, of the capital programmes set out in Annex 5(i) to Annex 5(vi) to the relevant Director in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Portfolio Holder.

·  The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) allocations and amendments outlined in Annex 5(vii).

·  The Capital & Investment Strategy attached at Annex 6.

·  The Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy attached at Annex 7.

·  The Capital Prudential Indicators outlined in 5.8.17.

·  The Annual Pay Policy Statement at Annex 8.

·  The Community Contribution Fund extension outlined Section 5.5.

·  The Council Tax Support Scheme for 2026/27 shown in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59

To consider the Council’s proposed revenue and capital budgets together with proposals for increases in Council Tax and the Adult Social Care Precept for 2026/27.

Cllr Mark Elliott, Cabinet Member for Resources, introduced the report, moved the officer recommendation and made the following points:

·  The administration presents a balanced budget proposal that protects frontline services despite £12.5m in funding cuts expected over the next three years. 

·  Current financial planning has been made significantly harder by the Government’s Fair Funding reforms, which introduced major uncertainty due to a lack of exemplifications and late publication of allocations.

·  The Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement arrived on 17 December, disrupting an already lengthy budget?setting process.

·  Fair Funding reforms will leave the council £12.5m worse off annually by 2028/29, broken down as: £2.42m (2026/27), £5.12m (2027/28), and £5.00m (2028/29).

·  The funding formulas disadvantage B&NES by judging it to have lower relative need, higher capacity to raise resources locally, and by redistributing business rates growth.

·  Despite these pressures, the council has developed a plan to close a £7.24m funding gap for 2026/27 through £2.59m in income generation and £4.65m in cost reductions.

·  Significant budget growth is allocated for social care: £5.51m for Adult Services and £4.07m for Children’s Services, even after savings, giving a net rise of nearly £6.4m in social care funding.

·  The budget includes a proposed 4.99% council tax increase (2.99% general + 2% Adult Social Care precept), equating to £90.97 more per Band D property (£1.75 per week).

·  This increase would raise £6.5m, nearly covering the net growth in social care spending.

·  B&NES continues to have among the lowest council tax levels in the South West and is recognised for strong productivity, ranked 5th most productive council nationally by the Municipal Journal.

·  The capital programme follows the Prudential Code requirements of affordability, prudence, and sustainability, with clear separation between Full Approval (£230m) and Provisional Approval (£280.5m) schemes, totalling over £510m financing.

·  Capital decisions are supported by a structured financing mix (grants, borrowing, receipts, third?party contributions) and a £2.9m corporate capital risk contingency.

·  Public consultation closed on 19 January, prompting removal of two proposals (Discovery Card charging and reduced recycling centre hours) in response to resident feedback.

·  Producing a balanced, prudent, and ambitious budget in a year of severe uncertainty demonstrates strong financial management and continued commitment to residents.

Cllr Manda Rigby seconded the motion and made the following points:

·  The budget demonstrates the administration’s ongoing commitment to investing in vulnerable residents, protecting communities, and maintaining frontline services, even as many councils nationwide face cuts.

·  The council’s corporate strategy prioritises prevention, with investments such as Culverhay and foster carer support aimed at improving services while reducing long?term costs—for example, reducing transport expenses by keeping vulnerable people closer to home. 

·  A £320K Community Safety growth request is essential for meeting statutory duties related to crime reduction, anti?social behaviour, substance misuse, domestic abuse support, public space protection, and serious violence prevention.

·  Of this funding, £164K will be used to recruit staff into the under?resourced Community Safety team to ensure delivery of critical services.

·  The funding also includes £35K for preventative domestic abuse work, focusing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77

Councillor Mark Elliott, Cabinet Member for Resources, introduced the item.

Councillor Dine Romero gave the following feedback as Chair of the Children, Adults, Health and Wellbeing Policy Development Panel.

Children’s Services and Adult Social Care are under significant and increasing pressure. Demand is rising, needs are becoming more complex, and inflation continues to strain budgets. Without government reform of social care funding, the situation is likely to continue this trajectory.

The panel looked at proposed savings related to increased Care Act reviews, short?term care pathways, enablement, and universal services. Concerns were raised about potential negative impacts and that cost?driven decisions might disrupt essential support. Officers provided reassurance that reviews will remain person?centred, based on eligibility and outcomes.

The panel discussed co?production in recommissioning learning disability services, reflecting on last year’s engagement work. They emphasised the importance of early, meaningful engagement with individuals and families.

Concerns were expressed about joint working between the Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB), especially as the ICB expands and may lose focus on B&NES. There was reassurance that there will still be a dedicated Place Director. Funding disputes for people with complex needs were also highlighted, and the panel welcomed a commitment to bring forward joint reports on dispute resolution.

The Panel reviewed the “top 25 contracts” and asked for more transparency. Positively, it was noted that Children’s Services are concentrating on slowing growth rather than finding new savings. SEND pressures were discussed, with early signs of improvement in EHCP timeliness and fewer complaints.

The panel still had questions about how some savings—particularly relating to transitions from high?cost residential placements to supported tenancies—would be achieved without reducing support. The Panel is committed to ongoing scrutiny to ensure vulnerable residents’ needs remain central to decision?making.

Councillor Andy Wait gave the following feedback as Chair of the Climate Emergency and Sustainability Policy Development Panel

This Panel has fewer statutory pressures and a focus on steering the Council’s future direction. Officers described the current year’s budget as “benign”, a view the panel broadly shared.

A major concern was the potential reduction in opening hours at the Bath and Midsomer Norton recycling centres. The panel welcomed the decision not to proceed, noting that cuts would have increased mileage to the Keynsham depot. Members also raised issues about kerbside waste route revisions, but were reassured that operational adjustments were manageable.

Parking enforcement and active travel were also discussed, particularly blocked dropped kerbs and whether enforcement could be carried out using electric cycles—currently limited by technology. Misuse of Park & Ride sites as general car parks was highlighted, prompting conversations about improving monitoring technology.

The panel examined funding for school streets, supported bus services and community travel initiatives, and was reassured these were supported through earmarked reserves or WECA?related funding. They welcomed plans for electric refuse vehicles from 2026, and sought clarification about associated costs.

Concerns were raised about Clean Air Zone operational deficits and parking charge increases affecting small businesses. Officers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 195