Borough council agrees budget for 2025/26

At £152.87 for an average Band D property, an increase of 3%, the borough’s part of the council tax bill remains one of the lowest in the county, despite significant challenges.

Cllr Alistair Beales, leader of the borough council, said:

“I am proud of the budget we have agreed. It reflects our commitment to doing the best we can for the people and communities of West Norfolk, especially those who need more support, and puts us in a strong position for devolution.

“Councils across the country continue to face challenging financial conditions. These are particularly acute in West Norfolk and some other areas because Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) are funded locally, which means more than 40% of our council tax income is used to fund IDB levies instead of local services.

“Despite this, in West Norfolk the combined efforts of members and officers – and the public, who helped to inform our priorities with their feedback through our recent survey – have identified savings and efficiencies that enabled us to build a sustainable and fully-funded budget.

“To put this into context, our starting point was a £4m shortfall so it has been a huge challenge.

“We have met this challenge head on with a £6m swing and we now have a projected £2m surplus which will help the Council meet the challenging financial years to come. So, not only have we addressed this shortfall, we have done it without reducing front-line services and we have been able to set aside some funding to invest in key projects such as homelessness and affordable housing.

“All this and we will continue to maintain our £500,000 grants programme and offer 100% relief on council tax to people on the lowest incomes.”

The borough council collects council tax on behalf of a number of organisations. For every £1 collected, the council keeps about 7p, of which a further (approximately) 3p goes to IDBs. The remaining 93p goes to Norfolk County Council, the Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner and parish councils.

At £152.87 for an average Band D property, an increase of 3%, the borough’s part of the council tax bill remains one of the lowest in the county, despite significant challenges.

In developing spending plans for 2025/26, officers and members identified savings and efficiencies including:

• Raising fees and charges to bring them in line with inflation, alongside a new policy that will help the council to manage future increases
• Introducing a 100% council tax premium for 2nd homes (this had been agreed in principle in 2024 but comes into effect from 1 April 2025)
• Bringing Alive West Norfolk inhouse to reduce costs
• Reducing the number of senior managers

The council is facing other, external pressures, including rises in National Insurance and other costs, while receiving no extra funding from the Government’s financial settlement. However, the measures the council is putting in place have ensured that frontline services are protected.

The council is also committed to investing in West Norfolk, through its capital programme, to deliver its housing programme, which is focussed on providing affordable homes and affordable private rented accommodation. It will also ensure that its heritage and leisure assets are fit for the future, for the long-term benefit of residents and visitors.