Still time to have your say on North Northamptonshire Council’s spending plans 

Finance

14 January 2025

Picture of English bank notes

People still have time to give their views on North Northamptonshire Council’s detailed spending proposals for the next financial year.

The draft revenue budget for North Northamptonshire Council was approved for consultation by the Executive in December.  

The consultation runs until midnight on Friday, January 24.

People can take part in the consultation in a number of ways including:  

  • Completing the online survey
  • Writing to: Budget Consultation Response, North Northamptonshire Council, Sheerness House, Meadow Road, Kettering, NN16 8TL  
Our draft revenue budget is just that – a draft – and the consultation phase is a very important one in the budget setting process as it’s essential that we get the views of all of the people the proposals affect before we can shape the final plans in February.

People still have time to have their say. It would be great to hear from as many people as possible from a variety of backgrounds.
Cllr Lloyd Bunday, the Council’s Executive Member for Finance and Transformation

The Council’s draft budget proposals set out a detailed spending strategy for the authority for the financial year 2025/2026 as well as outlining the medium-term financial forecast for the following three years.  
 
Protecting and investing in local frontline services against a backdrop of continued national financial uncertainty is the focus of the Council’s budget proposals.  
 
The proposed draft net revenue budget for 2025/2026 is £400.93 million, excluding the Dedicated Schools Grant. This money provides a range of services to residents and businesses across the area including care to vulnerable adults and children, education, the disposal and collection of waste, highways maintenance, economic development, housing and support for those that are homeless.

A commitment to maintain vital service provision has seen the Council invest an additional £51.9 million into services, including £23.7 million into adult social care and £6.2 million into children’s services to protect the most vulnerable in our communities and address growing demand for these vital services.

These pressures are, in part, offset by savings, efficiencies and further income of £26.3 million. Taken together with an improvement in funding expected from business rates, Council Tax and government grants the Council has been able to set a balanced budget for 2025/2026. 

What we’ve focused on is balancing the budget while working hard to protect services and I’m proud that we have a draft budget that proposes just that.

The budget is not just about how to manage within available resources but also where funding should be invested.

There is a balance to be maintained between encouraging growth, providing high quality universal services and protecting those that are the most vulnerable.
Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council

Government has permitted local authorities to increase the Council Tax rate by 4.99% in recognition of the increasing demand and cost pressures faced by Councils. 

As such the Council is proposing an increase in council tax of 4.99%, which includes the 2% adult social care precept. There is no change to the Local Council Tax Support Scheme which will continue at 25%.  

Next steps 

The consultation on the proposals will run until midnight on Friday, January 24. The Executive will then meet on February 6, to consider final budget proposals for recommendation to Full Council on February 20.