Derby City Council’s budget consultation for 2025-26 is now open.  

Anyone living, working or studying in Derby is encouraged to take part and share their thoughts on the Council’s proposals for a balanced, responsible budget before the deadline on Friday 19 January.

Rising demand and costs for supporting some of the most vulnerable residents have continued to make it more expensive for councils across the country to provide services. This, combined with high inflation, has made setting a balanced budget more challenging than ever before.

Massive reductions in funding from Government for local authorities since 2010 has exacerbated the problem, and while Derby City Council welcomes the new Local Government settlement package, it simply isn’t enough to make ends meet in the short term.

Despite these challenges, the Council is consulting on a balanced budget for 2025/26. This would be achieved through a mixture of proposed reductions to some services, continued transformation of the Council to become more efficient and manage demand, and by using the maximum allowance of Council Tax.

This year’s budget proposals include:

  • Investing £31 million in services: This includes protecting frontline services, such as social care and children's services, and investing in infrastructure projects that will benefit the city for years to come.
  • Making tough decisions to save £10.2 million: Unfortunately, this means reducing staff numbers. Council Tax is due to increase in line with previous years, which is the Government’s assumption when allocating funding These measures are necessary to ensure the long-term financial stability of the Council.  
  • Restoring our reserves by £8.8 million: To build resilience for the future, the proposals also set aside £8.8 million to be invested back into reserves, which have depleted significantly in recent years.

Alongside the budget proposals, the Council is also consulting on its latest Council Plan, which set out key ambitions for the city and how the authority will work collaboratively to deliver these. 

Councillor Kathy Kozlowski, Cabinet Member for Governance and Finance said:

This is far from the budget that we wanted to present, but as a responsible administration, we must take charge now to ensure that we can set a balanced budget and build resilience for future years.

These are not decisions that we have taken lightly, but that are necessary to continue supporting our most vulnerable residents and remain ambitious for our city.

I would urge everyone to take part in this consultation, it’s more vital now that we hear your views than it’s ever been before. Whilst the financial landscape is challenging, we remain committed to improving outcomes for local people, working together to build a Derby to be proud of.

Details of the proposals can be viewed with the consultation on the Let’s Talk Derby website. The consultation can be completed online from now until midnight on Friday 19 January 2025.

Paper copies can be downloaded and printed out from the website for return by post, and copies in alternative formats are available by emailing letstalkderby@derby.gov.uk or contacting us.