Issue - meetings
Budget and Business Planning Process 2026/2027
Meeting: 02/09/2025 - Executive (Item 34)
34 Budget Process 2026/2027 
PDF 231 KB
Report of Assistant Director Finance (S151 Officer)
Purpose of report
To inform the Executive of the proposed approach to the 2026/27 Budget Process and provides context and background information on the existing Medium-Term Financial Strategy and information on latest government announcements relevant to the Strategy.
Recommendations
The meeting resolves:
1.1 To approve the Budget Process for 2026/27.
1.2 To approve the base assumptions to be used for the 2026/27 budget.
1.3 To approve a five-year period for the Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2030/31 and five-year period for the Capital Programme to 2030/31.
Additional documents:
- Appendix 1 - Previously agreed Service Efficiencies & Income Proposals 2025-26 - 2029-30, item 34
PDF 565 KB
- Appendix 2 - Previously agreed Service Investments Proposals 2025-26 - 2029-30, item 34
PDF 559 KB
- Appendix 3 - Budget Process High Level Timetable, item 34
PDF 354 KB
- Webcast for Budget Process 2026/2027
Decision:
Resolved
(1) That the Budget Process for 2026/27 be approved.
(2) That the base assumptions to be used for the 2026/27 budget be approved.
(3) That a five-year period for the Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2030/31 and five-year period for the Capital Programme to 2030/31 be approved.
Minutes:
The Assistant Director Finance (S151 Officer) submitted a report to inform the Executive of the proposed approach to the 2026/27 Budget Process and provides context and background information on the existing Medium-Term Financial Strategy and information on latest government announcements relevant to the Strategy.
Resolved
(1) That the Budget Process for 2026/27 be approved.
(2) That the base assumptions to be used for the 2026/27 budget be approved.
(3) That a five-year period for the Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2030/31 and five-year period for the Capital Programme to 2030/31 be approved.
Reasons
The Council has a legal obligation to set a balanced budget and ensure it maintains a suitable level of reserves each year. The process laid out in this report will allow CDC to develop budget proposals that will allow it to meet these legal obligations.
Alternative options
The Council has a legal obligation to set a balanced budget and evaluate its level of reserves to ensure they are held at a suitable level. Therefore, there are no alternative options other than to carry out a budget process that reviews the levels of reserves and identifies a budget proposal that can be delivered within the overall level of resources available to the Council.