Budget consultation 2024/25

The budget consultation 2024/25 is now closed.

We’re committed to being open and transparent about how we spend taxpayers’ money, and this was your opportunity to share your views and let us know how you feel about the proposed budget for next year.

Having recently been audited, we’re in a strong financial position and though we’re starting from a healthy place, funding remains a challenge. We have seen cuts year-on-year to the funding we receive from the government, and this year is no different. This coupled with rising inflation, has meant that our finances need to be carefully managed in order to continue delivering and improving the services we provide for the district.

Key points for the budget consultation for 2024/25

We’d like to hear from members of the public with comments and thoughts on all subjects and services that we deliver. However, we are asking for comments on the following specifically:

Savings strategy
Growth items
Fees and charges

What we deliver

Forest of Dean District Council receives only 9p in every £1 of your Council Tax to provide the services it is responsible for, including:

Waste and recycling collection
Leisure services
Parking and public toilets
Promoting economic growth and regeneration
Support for homeless people
Street cleaning
Street warden service
Housing and Council Tax support
Planning and building control
Environmental health and licensing services
Election administration

Additional plans in our proposed budget for next year also include:

Creating new roles within the organisation to help tackle climate change across the Forest of Dean, enabling us to step up our actions in response to the declared Climate Emergency within the local community
Supporting the Levelling Up projects, including the regeneration of Five Acres into a centre for sporting excellence
Improving disabled facilities to enable independent living for those in need
Continuing to bring in more affordable homes for residents in the district
Continuing to support our local economy, and helping new businesses and social enterprises get up and running with our grant schemes

How we propose to pay for these plans

Making our services more efficient

In 2023/24 we were able to save over £608,000 through increased efficiency and sustainable investments, and are aiming to save £581,000 during the next financial year. These are detailed in the Savings Annex to the budget documents below.

Income from services we charge for

We receive a portion of our income from services such as green waste collection, car parking fees, planning and other service fees. This makes up a small percentage of the Council's overall income.

Increasing Council Tax by less than 12p a week

With Government funding decreasing again this year, we are therefore proposing an increase of less than 12p a week in Council Tax for Band D properties.

Residents on low incomes can receive assistance with payments through our Council Tax Support Scheme. There are also Hardship Funds available to residents who are unable to pay Council Tax.