Decision details

To consider and approve the revised General Fund Budget and Capital Programme for 2025/26 and consider and recommend to Council:

·         the General Fund Budget Estimates 2026/27 and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2026/27 and to 2030/31

·         the Council Tax levels for 2026/27

·         the Capital Programme 2026/27-2028/29

·         the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Capital Strategy and Annual Treasury Investment Strategy for 2026/27.

AGREED that:

(i)            The revised estimates for 2025/26 as set out in Section 6 and Appendix A showing an estimated surplus of £107k which will be transferred to the Budget Equalisation Reserve be approved,

and to recommend to Council that:

(ii)          the General Fund revenue budget for 2026/27 as set out in Section 7 and Appendix A be approved,

(iii)         the Medium-Term Financial Strategy as outlined in the report and Appendix B be adopted,

(iv)         the Capital Programme and funding statement as set out in Appendix D be approved,

(v)          the adoption of the additional Business Rates Relief measures as detailed in Section 5 using Discretionary Relief Powers be approved

(vi)         the expenses detailed in Section 10 be approved to be treated as general expenses for 2026/27,

(vii)        the Port Health levy for 2026/27 be set as shown in Section 11

(viii)       the current working age Council Tax Support Scheme be adopted with effect from 1 April 2026 as set out in Section 13, with appropriate changes to the prescribed pensioner scheme as determined by regulations,

(ix)         the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement (including amending the MRP calculation to be based on the ‘Annuity method’ from 2025/26 onwards), Treasury Investment Strategy, Prudential and Treasury Indicators for 2026/27 and Capital Strategy 2026/27 as set out in Section 14 and Appendix E be approved,

(x)          the Band D Council Tax level for Fenland District Council services for 2026/27 be set at £253.35, a reduction on the current year.