Southend Council’s draft budget reveals a proposed 4.99% tax increase to fund essential services and road repairs
Southend: The council just dropped its draft budget for 2025/26, and guess what? They’re planning to raise council tax by the max allowed—4.99%. Ouch!
But hold on! They say even with this hike, Southend will still have the second lowest council tax in Essex. Plus, the extra cash will help fix those pesky potholes and support vital services.
They’re facing rising costs for adult and children’s services, and National Insurance contributions are going up too. The council’s waiting until February to see how much help they’ll get from the Government.
This tax increase means an extra £1.2 million for their 1,860 staff, but they think they might get about half of that back from the Government. Fingers crossed!
Despite the challenges, the council is planning some serious investments. They’re putting an extra £4 million into fixing and resurfacing roads and pavements in the coming year.
Daniel Cowan, the council leader, is feeling optimistic. He called it a positive budget, aiming to invest over £25 million to tackle historical pressures and support services now and in the future.
They’re also focusing on children’s and adult services, with £5.75 million for adult care and £4.75 million for kids’ services. Plus, they’re setting aside cash for civic pride and tourism events.
No need for extra borrowing or dipping into reserves, which is a relief. They plan to hit their budget goals with new savings and increased income totaling £3.6 million.
On top of that, they’ve snagged an extra £7.3 million from the Government and will use some leftover funds from business rates. Smart move!
Cowan mentioned they’re working hard to cut down on overspending, which is down to £4.7 million as of November 2024. They’re determined to keep it low and avoid using reserves to balance the budget.
The draft budget will be reviewed by the council’s cabinet soon, and any changes will be discussed in February. The final budget will be approved at the full council meeting later that month.
