CUMBERLAND Council has agreed its budget for 2025/26 which will deliver millions of pounds of investment into the area and improve key services for the public.
Councillors agreed the budget at their meeting in Carlisle this week [Tuesday 4 March]. The proposed budget had originally been agreed by the council’s Executive on 18 February.
Members agreed a gross revenue budget of over £800m of which the net budget of £333m is paid for through council tax, business rates and government grants. This all pays for the day-to-day delivery of services on which the people of Cumberland rely.
Also central to the plans is £298m of capital investment. This includes money to deliver improvements to schools, roads, children’s services, care homes and town regeneration projects for communities across Cumberland.
Like councils across the country, Cumberland faces budget pressures from rising costs, inflation, and increased demand for social care services. Inflation alone adds a further £15m to the council’s spending. The budget sets out how the council is placing its finances on a more sustainable footing through a comprehensive transformation plan, while continuing to provide high-quality services for residents.
To help balance the budget and protect vital services, councillors agreed a 4.99% increase in its share of council tax. This is made up of a 2.99% rise in core council tax and a 2% increase in the Adult Social Care precept.
This represents an additional £1.74 a week for a Band D property. The vast majority of properties are in bands A to C, with the bill for a Band A property increasing by £1.16 a week.
In 2024/25 council tax bills in Cumberland were below the national average for similar unitary authorities, and more than £300 less than the highest bill.
For those residents on low incomes who might need help with paying their council tax bill, the budget continues to include funding for the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. This scheme is worth £22m a year and more information on the scheme, and how to apply, is on the council’s website.
For the first year, the budget includes an additional 100% premium on council tax for second homes which was agreed last year.
The budget includes £23m in Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from the government. The use of EFS has meant the council can introduce its transformation plan and manage the additional costs of recent reorganisation of local government, in a controlled and sustainable way, investing in services to make savings later, and ensuring it does not have to make severe cuts to services to balance the budget.
Speaking on the budget, Cllr Barbara Cannon, Executive member with responsibility for Financial Planning and Assets, said: “I’m pleased that councillors have agreed the budget for the next financial year.
“This budget is all about improving the health and wellbeing of our communities through investment in our communities. In our first two years we have managed to put our finances on a more sustainable foundation as well as developed a transformation plan which sets out how we will do things differently and better. We are investing in a more preventative approach to services, where we recognise the issues people face early, so that we provide the support they need before they escalate. This is why we are continuing with initiatives like the roll-out of our Family Hubs across Cumberland to mirror the success of the one in Whitehaven.
“The recent thumbs up from Ofsted in awarding us a ‘Good’ rating last year, showed that our approach is working and delivering for the people of Cumberland.
“There is however, more work to do. Balancing the budget remains a challenging process with pressure from inflation and increased demand especially in children’s and adult services. We’re also still affected by many years of cuts from government grants which now account for only 19% of our net funding. This is why our transformation plan remains so important so that we can have more effective and efficient services that deliver for the people of Cumberland.
“I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation. For the first time this gave respondents an opportunity to show us their priorities and it was interesting to note that many commented on how difficult they found this. We have listened and this budget includes money for the people’s priorities including roads and social care. The results will also be critical in helping us put together our budgets in future years.
“No council wants to increase bills for council tax payers. But by not doing so we’d have to make further cuts to services – a fact that the majority of those who responded to the consultation also recognised. I’d also encourage anyone on a low-income who hasn’t applied already to get in touch about our Council Tax Reduction Scheme. It is one of the most generous schemes in the country which reduces the amount you have to pay based on your income – which for some people, means they don’t have to pay anything at all.
“This budget is about investment in our services, and investment in our communities. Alongside our revenue budget we also have an ambitious capital programme which will see millions of pounds invested in regeneration schemes across Cumberland, as well as money for roads, new care facilities, and much more. Delivering on the priorities of our communities.”
The budget includes a £298 million capital investment programme for 2025/26, underlining the council’s commitment to regeneration, infrastructure, and community development. Key projects include £4.65m for new children’s care facilities and over £4m for schools. There is also £5.4m for disabled facilities grants which help people remain independent in their homes.
Cumberland’s highway network will see an investment of £15.8m which will go towards roads, bridges and other infrastructure. A further £7m will go on pothole repairs.
There is also millions of pounds of investment into communities across Cumberland including the Station Gateway project in Carlisle, and Town Deal and regeneration investment in Workington, Millom and Cleator Moor.
The council received 700 responses to its budget consultation which was held between 9 December 2024 to 6 January 2025. Of those who answered, 53.2% agreed or strongly agreed with the proposed 2.99% increase in the general council tax, to help maintain services. Some 51.3% agreed or strongly agreed with the 2% Adult Social Care precept increase to provide more money for these essential services, rather than make cuts.
Participants highlighted road maintenance, bin collection, public transport, adult social care, and public health as their top service priorities.
There was also strong support for some of the potential ideas for future budgets. These included the council taking a more commercial approach to council services, using pricing at leisure centres to help people tackle specific health issues, and making more use of self-service and digital services.
- The full budget report can be found on our website.
- The net budget after service specific grants and fees and charges are removed is £333m.
- Some 54% of the council’s net budget is paid for through Council Tax, with 27% from business rates and 19% from government grants and other income.
- More details on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme can be found on our website.
- The average Band D bill for Cumberland Council services in 2024/25 was £1,816.80. This is below the average for similar authorities and £338.53 below the highest bill.