Cheltenham council to protect services as funding is cut
Locals are being asked for their views on plans to balance the budget
No council services will be cut in Cheltenham in the council’s bid to plug a £1.1m budget gap but civic chiefs feel they have been given coal as a Christmas present from the Government.
That is the pledge by Borough Council finance cabinet member Peter Jeffries (LD, Springbank) who proposed at a meeting that the authority consult with the public on its budget plans for next year.
Council leaders are tasked with developing proposals to balance the budget as the authority has a budget gap of £1,171,311.
The public are being asked to have their say on the proposals over the next few weeks which include a tax increase of 2.99 per cent, the extraordinary cabinet meeting heard.
Allotment and cemetery fees are expected to be increased as well as bulky waste collections but parking charges would remain the same, according to the council report.
The authority says it has faced unprecedented financial challenges over the last few years with over a decade of austerity leading to significant cuts by the Government to funding of councils, a period of high inflation, Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crises.
Cabinet members will be tasked with developing proposals to balance the budget for next year.
But Cllr Jeffries was very clear that there would not be cuts to services. It is understood savings would be made by altering when certain capital projects are brought forward.
He said: “These aren’t cuts, these are about balancing our budget.
“We’re not looking at cuts, we’re about looking at balancing the budget figures.
“We’ve got a reduction in funding, because there’s the presumption we have to up our council tax.”
And Councillor Izaac Tailford (LD, All Saints) railed at the Government for the year on year reduction in funding for local councils.
He said it felt like the council was being given coal as its Christmas gift.
“Our funding from the national government is going down year on year when things continue to cost more and more. It is quite frankly appalling, to be honest.
“They’re putting the burden on us and that makes it so much more challenging.
“While we are a well-run council and we have good finances, I imagine that’s not going to be the case everywhere and it’s probably going to push quite a few councils under.
“It feels like Merry Christmas from the Labour government. Your gift is coal.”
People can view the full budget documents here and email your views on the proposals to [email protected] by January 31, 2026.