Council approves £698.4 million budget

Gloucestershire County Council has approved its ambitious £698.4 million budget for 2026/27.

At a meeting of council on Wednesday, February 18, the budget was approved by members. 

The spending plans for 2026/27 will see spending rise by more than £33.3 million on 2025/26 levels, to almost £700 million. 

The £698.4 million proposed budget includes significant investment by the council to improve road safety, education for young people, and continued support for the most vulnerable people in the county. 

An additional £15 million is proposed to be spent over the next three years on improving the quality and safety of the county’s roads. In addition, £2 million will be spent on improving road safety over the next two years.    

A total of £21.1 million will be spent on delivering the new special schools in Gloucester and Cheltenham, allowing more young people to be educated closer to home. A further £2.7 million will be invested in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services.   

Towards a total investment of £57 million, there will be £6.55 million committed next year towards the building of three new care homes in the county.   

Household Waste Recycling Centres across the county will benefit from improvements with £3.9 million set to be invested over the next four years.   

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service will see £2.5 million spent on new frontline vehicles, £1.5 million towards a new training facility, and £1.3 million to make improvements to Cinderford Fire Station.   

The budget has been approved following a public consultation which ran from 4 December until 9 January.  

This consultation saw 44 per cent of respondents support the proposals to increase Council Tax and the Adult Social Care Precept. The proposed increase reflects unavoidable pressures on the council and supports the continued delivery of essential services.  

The budget proposes raising an additional £27.4 million to help fund services through a Council Tax increase of 2.99% and a further 2% increase in the Adult Social Care precept, which will specifically support work with the most vulnerable adults in the county.   

Based on a band D property, residents would pay an additional £1.61 each week.   

The council is also looking at the way it works to generate more income, reduce costs and make its money go further. This will create £32.3 million in savings for the council’s budget in 2026/27.  

A number of amendments to the budget were proposed, with those below being agreed and therefore adopted as part of the council’s spending plans. 

The approved one-off budget amendments were as follows: 

• £10,000 to provide short-term flexible help for young people’s travel costs – Labour 
• £110,000 to fund a zebra crossing to link two sections of the Cam and Dursley ‘Green Way’ – Green Party 
• £80,000 to make improvements to Public Rights of Way – Green Party 
• £80,000 to sponsor two care leavers to undertake the Level 3 Youth Qualification for two years – Green Party 
• £100,000 to maintain the funding of the Community Climate Grant, to support community-led environmental projects – Green Party 
• £20,000 to fund Particulate Matter monitors in high-risk schools – Green Party 

Cllr Lisa Spivey, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “I am delighted with the budget we have set for the year ahead.  

“We’re investing with purpose, strengthening essential services and improving everyday life across the county.  

“I know that in a tough financial climate, every pound matters, so I want to be clear that the tough decisions have not been taken lightly. 

“But we’re ambitious for Gloucestershire, and this budget backs the things that matter most to our communities.”