Budget includes tax rise and road investment

Gloucestershire County Council is planning on spending £15m over three years more on fixing roads

Council tax will rise but more investment will be made in pothole repairs, upgrading recycling centres and investing in road safety, under new budget proposals.

Gloucestershire County Council has published its plans for the £697.5m budget for 2026.

It is the first proposed budget from the new Liberal Democrat administration after it won the local elections in May.

The authority is proposing a council tax rise by the maximum 4.99%, increasing parking charges for the first time since 2013 and saving £25.7m to balance the books.

It's the fourth budget in a row council tax has been risen by the maximum amount.

Council Leader Lisa Spivey admitted times are "challenging" for local government but said she was pleased with the budget.

"We are delivering on those manifesto pledges which we have put into our council strategy for the next few years," she said.

Many of the 'big ticket' items include a focus on roads, with an extra £15m on maintenance to be spent over three years.

The council is also investing £2m in road safety over two years to help deliver more 20mph zones across the county.

Funding of £21.17m is being put towards building a new special school in Gloucester whilst £80.2m is being reserved for school maintenance for the next three years.

Cost pressures coming

Whilst the county council has been solvent, the budget does throw up some pressures

Unearmarked reserves of £0.8m will have to be used to balance the books.

In the last two years of the decade the county council will also need to find an extra £4.8m of savings, if the authority still exists.

On top of this local government reorganisation is continuing apace, with Gloucestershire's councils being abolished in favour of a unitary model.

But the estimated cost of that change for Shire hall could be £21-30 million.

To combat these issues the authority is rising council tax by the maximum amount possible, 4.99% - but it's also had to find £25.7m of savings.

Parking charges are increasing for the first time since 2013 with resident permits increasing to £80 for one car (£65.50 currently) and £160 for a second (£131.15 currently).

The council is also exploring additional charges in the county's market towns along with introducing fees in railways stations with free parking.

Some bus services where the Robin is serving the community may be cut, saving £100,000.

SEND pressures off

One sigh of relief from those counting the pennies is the government's commitment to absorb Special Educational Needs (SEND) debt.

Gloucestershire County Councils forecast deficit will hit £211.1m by 2028 - but the government has committed to absorbing that.

A public consultation on the budget will go live later, but the full document is available online.