Council sets a balanced budget for the year ahead

As part of the budget, an annual increase of £7.47 (2.99%) for the average band D household was agreed for Reigate & Banstead's element of Council Tax.

The Council has also agreed to extend its Local Council Tax Support Scheme which provides support for residents facing financial hardship to pay their Council Tax bills.

Sound financial planning for 2024/25

Leader of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, Cllr Richard Biggs, said: “The annual budget setting process is not easy. Each year we face new challenges and have to make difficult decisions. It is testament to the hard work of everyone at the Council that we have been able to set a balanced budget for the year ahead. But not only that, we have done this while also protecting core services and the additional support we provide for our communities.

“We are committed to becoming a more efficient and sustainable Council, investing in projects that will save us money, and benefit the environment in the long run.”

At last night’s meeting, the Council set a revenue budget requirement of £23.167million for 2024/25 which includes service budget savings of £1.754 million and new fees and charges income of £0.540m. These will help to offset increased costs and budget growth, and enable us to continue to deliver against priorities set out in our Corporate Plan.

The Council has also agreed an updated Capital Programme, which commits £53.680 million of investment over the next five years. This will enable us to maintain the buildings we own and reduce our energy bills associated with them, invest in upgrades to our parks, play areas and town centres, and do more to increase the supply of temporary and emergency housing locally.

Before finalising the budget, the Council ran an eight-week public consultation on the draft proposals. The comments received, and their potential impact, were considered in preparing the final budget.  We keep our financial plans under regular review and publish quarterly budget updates reporting on our spend.

Council Tax - providing value for money and more support available

Whilst the Council collects all Council Tax across the borough, for every pound received only 11p goes to Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, 75p goes to Surrey County Council (including Surrey Fire and Rescue) and 14p to Surrey Police. In 2024/25, this means that a typical household will pay £257.18 a year for the 50+ services that the Borough Council provides – just under £4.95 a week. Residents who live in Horley or Salfords and Sidlow, will pay a little extra for their services.

Leader of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, Cllr Richard Biggs further commented: “We have needed to increase our share of the Council Tax – but we’ve kept it as low as we can, at an extra 14p a week for the average band D household. That feels extremely good value in the current financial climate.”

In extending its Local Council Tax Support Scheme, the Council has made more support available for residents facing financial hardship. For details about the help and support available for anyone finding it difficult to pay their Council Tax, visit the Cost of living pages on our website.

We have also introduced an optional Council Tax e-billing scheme which we would encourage residents to sign up to. Not only will it help save money in printing and postage, it will also help to reduce our carbon footprint. The savings will be reinvested into services and residents will benefit by being able to manage their account online.