County council to spend more than £1 billion across Cambridgeshire in the coming year

County council to spend more than £1 billion across Cambridgeshire in the coming year

The county council has shared its proposals to continue delivering its vision of a creating a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire. Part of these proposals will identify the council's priorities for where to spend over £1 billion to deliver services and support for people and communities across the county.

Priorities included with the draft Business Plan and Budget 2025/26 to 2029/30 are:

• Investing £21 million into the county's 4,500 miles of road network, footpaths, cycleways, and drainage systems in 2025/26, with a further £20 million being invested in 2026-27.
• £6 million being invested in services that support people to maximise their income and gain access to household goods through the Household Support Fund and providing £2.5m to maintain holiday school vouchers for those most in need.
• Investing £20 million over the next three years to support providers of adult social care services to pay care workers the Real Living Wage, helping to recruit and retain people to deliver these essential services.
• Investing £6.8 million in low carbon heating for schools and council buildings and £8.7 million being invested to deliver enhanced and upgraded household waste recycling centres in Milton and March.
• Helping to provide extra capacity to support children and young people in care and children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

However, rising demand for the services the council provides, along with the costs of those services also rising, continues to impact available funding, just as is the case with many other local authorities. The council must continue to make difficult choices about where to spend and where to make savings.

This means the county council has a budget gap of £34.2 million in 2025/26 which needs to be closed. The proposed response to close the gap and set a legal budget was discussed by the council's Strategy, Resources and Performance committee on Tuesday 17 December. Read more on our website and watch back the meeting on our YouTube channel.

Proposed council tax

The report discussed by councillors, includes a proposed council tax increase of 4.99% for 2025/26. This increase, if approved, would generate around £20 million in funding.

Listening to residents

Our annual Quality of Life Survey ran between May and July, and we spoke to a representative sample of 5,500 residents. Key areas to highlight:

• Overall residents felt they continued to have good quality of lives in Cambridgeshire.
• Expectations on what the council can deliver remain high.
• Concerns about cost of living, climate change, loneliness, investment and jobs.
• Levels of service satisfaction are similar to 2023 – higher levels in registrations, libraries and waste, lower levels in SEND and highways maintenance.

Phase one of budget engagement ran from 4 November to 2 December and there were 150 responses received:

• 52% supporting a proposed 4.99% council tax increase, 31% against.
• Agreement that the council should support vulnerable residents through targeted support and working with other organisations.
• Agreement that the council should support early intervention and prevention to support independence, as well as more tailored services that are closer to communities.
• A desire to protect spending on highways, Children's social care, Education and Adult social care.
• Support for reviewing of the way the council works including staffing and organisational structure.

Gathering views on the proposals

We have launched a consultation with residents and would like your help to publicise this to your residents so that we can hear their views. The survey is on our website – it will close on Thursday 9 January 2025.

During December we will also be consulting with parish and town councils, other Local and Public Authorities, business representatives, trade unions and residents upon the draft Business Plan and Budget.

Decision making timeline

• Monday 9 December - Resident and Local Organisation consultation opened.
• Tuesday 17 December - Business Plan and Budget 2025/26 to 2029/30 discussed at Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee.
• January – Policy and Service Committees scrutinise the Business Plan and Budget 2025/26 to 2029/30.
• Thursday 9 January - Resident and Local Organisation consultation closes.
• Tuesday 28 January – Feedback from Policy and Service Committees, Resident consultation and local organisation engagement is considered by Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee.
• Tuesday 11 February – Full Council discuss and approves the Business Plan and Budget 2025/26 to 2029/30.

Christmas and New Year opening times

Residents of Cambridgeshire are reminded that Cambridgeshire County Council will be operating special opening hours over the Christmas and New Year period. This includes our Customer Services, Household Recycling Centres, Libraries, Registration Offices, and Child and Family Centres.