East Suffolk Council
Council agrees balanced Budget to protect key services and invest in future
East Suffolk Council has pledged more than £64million towards delivering quality key services for residents while continuing to invest in projects for the benefit of local communities.
On Wednesday, East Suffolk Council’s agreed a balanced Budget which allows for vital day-to-day services to be delivered alongside programmes developed to help improve the quality of people’s lives.
The annual Budget is set against the framework of a Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) to ensure effective management of resources and support delivery of the Council’s strategic action plan, Our Direction 2028.
All planned spending is aligned with five key principles of tackling inequalities, enabling a thriving economy, promoting sustainable housing, delivering positive environmental impacts and maintaining stable foundations.
More than £64m has been budgeted within the Council’s General Fund to pay for services such as planning, leisure, housing and environmental services, waste collection and parking.
The General Fund also allows for projects to help improve the lives of people in East Suffolk, including a new three-year Town Development Programme to build on the successes of the preceding East Suffolk Towns Revitalisation Programme, as well as a three-year extension to the innovative Youth Employment Service (YES), providing routes to employment, education and training for young people aged 16-24.
Funding has also been pledged for the transformation of Lowestoft Town Hall into a multifunctioning, community building, as well as the return of the First Light Festival to the town for the next three years.
Further investment will fund the continued provision of a mobile community pantry and advice hub, and the extension of the ‘Ease the Squeeze’ cost-of-living support programme for another two years.
The Council is committed to securing a balanced budget, not just through setting council tax, but by utilising opportunities to deliver service efficiencies and generate additional income, while maintaining an appropriate level of balances and reserves in case of significant variations or emergencies.
Council tax is one of the Council’s most important and stable income streams. However, district councils generally collect the smallest share of overall council tax income and will gain the least from the government’s annual Local Government Finance Settlement.
East Suffolk Council only ever receives around 9% of a total Council Tax bill, with the remainder, going to Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Police and our Town & Parish Councils.
This year, the total amount of council tax paid by average households (Band D) for East Suffolk Council services will increase by only £5.58 for the whole year - this works out at less than 47p per month. However, as in previous years, people on low income, or those in receipt of benefits, can apply for a reduction in council tax.
A balance budget will be achieved for 2025/26 by using reserves, currently estimated at £5.3m. Meanwhile, a council tax premium on second homes, to be introduced from April, could generate around £9m in East Suffolk.