Protection of key public services and a balanced budget
Epping Forest District Council has revealed draft plans for the protection of key public services in a balanced budget for 2025/26.
However, the report to Cabinet scheduled for 3 February also outlines tough choices as the council manages higher costs and a disappointing financial settlement from the Government.
Lowest district Council Tax in Essex
Despite the challenges, the council still aims to have one of the lowest, if not the lowest district Council Tax in Essex.
The draft budget includes almost £1.5million of savings compared to 2024/25. Key factors balancing the books included a negative Government settlement which offsets a proposed increase of 2.99% in Council Tax, equating to £4.99 per year for a Band D property.
Other stresses on the council finances include the increase in employer contributions to National Insurance, increased waste collection costs, reductions in income from business rates, and the operational trading deficit on Cottis Yard car park.
Council house rents are also expected to increase by 2.7% in line with Government guidance.
Delivering significant service improvements
However, the council is still able to deliver significant service improvements including:
- The delivery of the new Epping Leisure Centre
- A new control tower at North Weald Airfield
- 85 new council housing units
- 66 affordable housing units
- Approximately £20 million per year for the next 5 years on improvements to its council houses
Finance Portfolio Holder, Councillor Holly Whitbread thanked Councillor Roger Baldwin for the input of his committee. A collegiate approach has been taken to budget development with councillors from all sides of the council chamber coming together in Overview and Scrutiny Committee to assist and advise the Cabinet. The outcome is a budget all councillors have been able to shape.
The setting of the budget comes against a background of serious financial problems for councils across the country. Among the key messages, Epping Forest District Council will set a balanced budget and is still expected to have one of the lowest if not the lowest district Council Tax in Essex. Measures in the recent government budget such as changes to business rates and National Insurance, combined with the poor financial settlement have hit district councils like Epping Forest hard. Councillors are protecting core public services, but there are some hard budget choices they would prefer not to take.
Among the proposed spending reductions is the end of council funding for additional police officers based at the Civic Offices. Further reductions are proposed to Voluntary Action Epping Forest, although councillors have moved to protect local funding of the Citizens Advice Bureau and youth council. Some increase in fees and charges will be inevitable as the council also takes account of inflation.
Following the Government’s devolution and local Government reorganisation white paper, larger unitary councils are expected to replace existing boroughs and district in the next few years. This is likely to affect Epping Forest District Council’s decision making on a number of investment projects, with money and people redirected to reflect the changing local government landscape. Holding on to staff will be a key priority during the transition period with councillors doing all they can to keep potential redundancies to the absolute minimum. Nevertheless, a small number of posts could be at risk.
Epping Forest District Council remains in a significantly stronger financial position than many other councils. The council has a broad portfolio of private investments from North Weald Airfield to the Epping Forest Shopping Park, with shops, industrial units and other income sources that contribute to public services. Although the capital receipt from the sale of land at North Weald to Google cannot be used to support revenue services, interest earned from the sale is making a further significant contribution to balancing the budget.
Tough budget and tough choices
Councillor Holly Whitbread said:
This is a tough budget and we will have to make some tough choices.
There is no question councillors would have preferred not to make some of the cuts. However, despite the difficult picture, the key public services our residents demand and require have been protected.
At £172 for a Band D property, I believe the council’s projected share of Council Tax represented very good value for money for council services. We have allocated our resources where they can do the most good. The interests of our residents will always be our top priority.
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