Norfolk County Council presents balanced budget for 2025/26 after significant cuts

Norfolk County Council is believed to have balanced its budget for 2025/26 despite having to bridge a black hole of millions of pounds.

The council’s cabinet is set to consider proposals for a balanced budget, which will see council tax increase by 4.99% for the coming year.

Papers have set out the details of the plans, based on a total of £45.347million of savings and investment into services of £108.808million.

Cllr Andrew Jamieson, the authority’s deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said: “I need to be straightforward with the people of Norfolk - funding from central government is inadequate to cover the future cost pressures that local councils will face.

“Norfolk County Council remains in a sound financial position for the forthcoming year thanks to the actions we have taken, and the extremely difficult decisions we’ve been forced to make.

“We continue to see significant growth in demand for our services, in particular in adult social care and SEND where there are systemic issues at a national level that haven’t been addressed.”

“We have also seen the abolition of Rural Services Delivery Grant, equivalent to 1% of council tax. We know how challenging it can be to deliver services in a large, rural county like Norfolk, so it is disappointing this hasn’t been reflected in the Government’s plans.”

“We need meaningful, sustainable reform to local government funding that provides local councils with the resources they need.”

The budget will be considered at the council’s cabinet meeting on January 27. The proposals will then be considered by a scrutiny committee on February 12, and full council on February 18.

Reports of the “significant challenges” the authority faced to balance its budget have been well documented in the past year or so.

Throughout 2024, the council made clear that it had “no choice” but to cut funding for a number of key services in order to balance the books.

Cuts have been made to areas such as adult social services, children’s services, infrastructure, fire and rescue, and strategy and information.