Purpose

To seek recommendation to Council to approve
the 2025-26 Budget and MTFP

Content

RESOLVED
 
KEY DECISION
 
That the Executive:
 

a)       Approved for consultation
the 2025-26 Draft Revenue Budget, which includes:
         

i.              
an estimated net revenue budget of £815.4m
(£414.5m including the Dedicated Schools Grant) as set out in
Appendix A, noting that this is subject to further update
and change following the publication of the provisional Local
Government Finance Settlement.
 

ii.             
a Band D Equivalent Council Tax of £1,827.06
for North Northamptonshire Council, representing an increase of
2.99% in the ‘core’ Council Tax and a further 2% for
the Adult Social Care Precept.
 

iii.            
pressures of £51.9m, including adjustments for
the reversal of one-off funding in 2024-25, and savings,
efficiencies and income proposals of £26.3m as detailed in
Appendix B.
 

iv.           
the provisional Dedicated Schools Grant budget of
£414.5m for 2025-26, pending the final settlement, as
detailed in Appendix C.
 

v.             
the draft planned use of, contribution to, and
movement in, reserves as identified in paragraph 5.42, section 9
and Appendix D of the report, noting the reserves will be
reviewed again after the Finance Settlement and prior to the final
budget proposals, to consider the risk applying at that
time.
 

vi.           
corporate budget requirements as set out in
paragraph 8.1, including a contingency sum of £2.6m as set
out in paragraph 8.2.
 
b)        For the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG):
 

i.              
Notes the provisional allocations of the funding for
the Schools Block, Central School Services Block, High Needs Block
and Early Years Block

 

ii        
Following consultation with the Schools Forum, delegates authority
to the Executive Member for Children, Families, Education and
Skills  in consultation with the
Executive Director of Finance and Performance (S151 Officer),
Executive Member for Finance and Transformation and the Executive
Director for Children’s Services, to determine the DSG
2025-26 schools funding formula, high needs funding arrangements
and the early years funding formula in line with Department for
Education guidance.
 

c)       Endorsed the budget
consultation process as outlined at paragraphs 13.16 to 13.20 which
commences following the approval of the recommendations in this
report.
 

d)       Noted that the
funding allocations are estimates only at this stage and will not
be confirmed until the publication of the provisional Local
Government Finance Settlement.
 

e)       Delegated authority to the
Executive Member for Finance and Transformation in consultation
with the Executive Director of Finance (S151 Officer) to amend the
draft budget following the publication of the provisional Local
Government Finance Settlement.
 
 
Reason for Recommendations: To ensure that the
Council complies with its Constitution and legislative requirements
in setting the budget for North Northamptonshire Council from
2025-26.
 
Alternative Options Considered – This is the start of the
formal budget consultation for the General
Fund and any comments from the consultation, together with
any changes from the Finance Settlement, will be considered as part
of this process to inform the need for alternative
options.