23/12/24: Breckland Council sets out plans for the 2025/26 Budget

Councillors are set to discuss draft plans for Breckland Council's next annual budget and residents are being invited to share their views. 

At a meeting of the district council's Cabinet on 6 January, members will discuss the draft budget for 2025/26, which outlines how money on district council services will be spent over the coming financial year.

The proposed budget is balanced for 2025/26, meaning the amount the council intends to spend is around the same as the income it expects to receive. The new budget, which when finalised will be in place from April 2025, aims to make no cuts to any of its core services.

In addition, Breckland Council continues to set aside funding for ongoing support for some of Breckland's most vulnerable residents.

At the Cabinet meeting, councillors will hear that the council expects to be able to deliver these initiatives and balance the budget if it increases annual district council tax by £4.95 for a band D property in 2025/26.

That would mean a typical Band D property in Breckland would pay around £119 per year in district council tax from April, paying for services such as bin collections, street cleaning, assessing planning applications, licensing, and housing support. However, most people in the district would see a smaller rise in district council tax, as around 75% of houses are in bands A-C, which pay lower tax rates.

Cllr Phil Cowen, Breckland Council's Executive Member for Finance, Revenue and Benefits, said "Breckland Council is proposing a balanced budget designed to not only protect core services but also the wide range of discretionary services provided to residents, communities and businesses, even amidst growing public spending pressures and rising inflation. This draft budget upholds residents' quality of life and enable the district's continued prosperity."

Members of the public are being invited to comment on the draft budget proposals as part of a consultation which runs until 23 January. Comments from the public and members of the council will be taken into consideration before the finalised budget is presented to the members of the Full Council for discussion in February.

For more information about the budget proposals and how to take part in the consultation, visit the council's offices in Dereham or Thetford visit ourConsultations page.