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22 January, 2025

Cabinet to consider budget proposals for 2025/26

An additional £1.1m of investment in key public services, such as graffiti clearance, street cleaning and refurbishment of local shelters is being proposed as part of Thanet District Council’s budget for the next financial year, April 2025 to March 2026.

Each year a balanced budget, which sets out how the council’s services will be funded, must be produced. This year it will be considered by the Cabinet when they meet on Thursday (30 January). 

Proposed investment mainly focuses on actions that will help to improve public spaces. This reflects the things that residents responding to the annual survey indicate matter most to them each year.

Additional investment is proposed in the following areas:

  • Additional tree planting
  • Broadstairs public realm
  • Coastal engineering
  • Graffiti removal
  • Health and Safety
  • Investment in waste, recycling and street cleansing
  • Jackey Bakers improvements
  • Legal and procurement
  • Madeira Walk Waterfall
  • Railing replacement
  • Safeguarding
  • Shelter refurbishment – Palm Bay, Westbrook, Marine Drive
  • St Peter’s Recreation Ground
  • Streetscene – littering, dog fouling, enforcement

Overall, the council is proposing to spend £27.5m in 2025/26 to fund its services and running costs. This is an increase of £4m compared to 2024/25 and is largely due to inflationary pressures, rising costs such as salaries and contributions, Temporary Accommodation and housing benefit administration.

The increase in spending will be financed from a variety of sources including an increase in government grant funding, additional retained business rates income, reserve contributions and Council Tax income. 

The proposal is for the Thanet District Council portion of Council Tax to increase by 3%, which would result in a £7.87 increase per year for households in Council Tax band D.

Thanet District Council receives just 12p in every £1 collected in the Council Tax paid by Thanet residents. The rest goes to a number of organisations: Kent County Council,  Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Authority and town/parish councils. These bodies decide their own element of the overall bill.

Fees and charges will also be considered by the Cabinet at the meeting. They are proposed to rise by an average of 2%.

Residents will have an opportunity to comment on the draft budget as part of a targeted consultation exercise on the council’s online engagement platform, Your Voice Thanet. This will launch following the Cabinet meeting.

Council Leader, Cllr Rick Everitt said: “Improvements to the public realm are a key focus for the current administration, so it is pleasing that we have again been able to bring forward proposals that will strengthen our services in this area across the district, as well as tackling long standing local issues such as the Madeira Walk waterfall in Ramsgate and shelters in Westbrook, Cliftonville and Margate. Following Cabinet’s consideration next week, I look forward to hearing the views from all sides of the council as well as feedback from the public before we finalise the budget at the end of February.” 

The report also outlines the draft General Fund Capital Programme for 2025/26 which is proposed at £38m. Capital expenditure can be financed from revenue resources, grants, capital receipts and borrowing.

The Cabinet reports are available to view on our website.

After Cabinet, the draft budget will be reviewed by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel on Tuesday 11 February and then will be considered for final approval at Full Council on Thursday 27 February.

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