Council’s Cabinet set to agree 2025/26 budget
Monday, February 10, 2025
Wakefield Council’s Cabinet are set to agree budget proposals for 2025/26 to fill a £39.4m gap.
The Council has listened to feedback from residents from consultations carried out in 2024 and early 2025. Significant changes have been made to the final plans, with a proposal to reduce the frequency of garden waste collections this year scrapped. And plans to reduce the opening hours at local museums, libraries and castles also dropped.
“We’re a well-run Council who are taking responsible decisions to build a positive, long-term future for our district.
“We know how important it is for our residents that we protect our frontline services. And that we deliver those essential services well. That’s what this budget is all about.
“We’re focused every day on maintaining our roads and emptying our bins. Supporting stronger, safer communities and great high streets. Improving our environment, parks, and green spaces. Caring for our most vulnerable residents. And giving our young people the best possible start in life.
“So that we can continue to do that into the future we need to be more efficient and modernise how we provide some services. Use technology to deliver some services differently. And change services and processes to be more efficient and customer focused.
“This budget strikes the right balance. It will allow us to be more sustainable. Will leave Wakefield with what is likely to be the lowest Council Tax in West Yorkshire. And enables us to continue to deliver frontline services for our communities.”
Cllr Denise Jeffery
Leader of Wakefield Council
The 2025/26 budget report will be discussed by the Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday 18 February. It outlines the following plans to make savings and efficiencies including:
- Saving £3.8 million through use of technology and digital transformation
- Changing organisational and business support services to save £2.4 million
- Saving £2.0 million with a review of property and facilities management arrangements
- Saving £2.5 million by improving commissioning and contract management
- Saving £3.9 million by changing the way some adult social care services work, maximising the independence of people receiving care
- Saving over £1.0 million by reducing the use of hotels for homelessness provision
- Reducing costly external placements in children’s social care, saving £1.4 million by having more in-house provision
- Raising £1.9 million by increasing some fees and charges
The Council will generate £1.2 million of additional income from housing and business growth. And raise £9.1 million by raising Council Tax and Adult Social Care Precept by a combined 4.99%.
It equates to an extra £1.65 per week for Band D households and £1.10 per week for Band A households, essential funding which is the only way to protect frontline services.
“Genuinely listening to feedback from our communities has been central to our approach on this budget. We’ve taken views from recent consultations onboard and have made changes to our budget plans based on what matters most to our residents.
“We will not be reducing the frequency of garden waste collections. And opening hours at our museums, castles and libraries will remain the same.
“Thank you to everyone who took part in our consultation. We know that some of the decisions are still difficult and will mean changes for people. But you’ve helped shape the final proposals.
“The work doesn’t stop once our budget is approved. We’ll continue to work hard every day to be more efficient. To modernise how we work. And to get the best possible value for money in everything we do.”
Cllr Jack Hemingway
Deputy Leader of Wakefield Council
The meeting of Cabinet takes place on Tuesday 18 February at 10.30am. People can watch it live or later at Wakefield Council - Cabinet meetings - YouTube.
If accepted by Cabinet members, the plans will then move to a special meeting of Full Council for formal consideration on 3 March.
All the reports can be found here www.wakefield.gov.uk: Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 18 February 2025, 10:30 am.