Protect, care and invest to create a better borough.
The council’s budget is important because it sets out how much money we have available and where we intend to spend it as we protect, care and invest to create a better borough.
The financial challenge
Years of austerity, recovery from the pandemic and the cost of living crisis mean that making ends meet has never been more challenging for local authorities.
Thanks to sound financial management in Telford and Wrekin, we already have in place a number of income streams that help us continue to deliver vital front-line services, and our budget proposals for 2025/26 recommend further investment in these areas.
Our proposals also include a number of carefully considered savings, which will help us to balance the books.
However, over the last few years we have seen:
- huge increases in both the demand and costs associated with delivering vital social care services (which account for three quarters of the Council’s revenue spend); and
- reduced government funding for local authorities.
These factors mean that, for 2025/26, we have taken the difficult decision to recommend increasing general Council Tax to help cover the funding gap.
Key points in our budget
Every year, we formally review and set our budget plans. Our most recent budget covers the period 2025/26 to 2028/29.
View summaries of the key points in our budget below.
What happens next?
6 January 2025
Cabinet meeting to consider our budget proposals.
7 January 2025 to 5 February 2025
A public four-week consultation will take place on our proposed budget.
7, 16 and 21 January 2025
Business and Finance Scrutiny Committee will scrutinise our budget proposals.
13 February 2025
Cabinet meeting to agree final recommendations to Full Council..
27 February 2025
Final decisions on our budget and council tax for 2025 - 2026 will be made at the Full Council meeting.
Consultation
This consultation period has now ended.