Cheltenham Borough Council has confirmed that no local services will be cut as it faces a £1.1 million budget gap for the coming year. However, council leaders have expressed frustration at ongoing reductions in government funding, likening it to receiving coal for Christmas.
At a special cabinet meeting on December 23, Finance Chief Peter Jeffries (Liberal Democrat, Springbank) proposed seeking public input on the council’s budget plans. The council must find ways to balance a £1,171,311 shortfall while maintaining essential services.
Public consultations will run over the next few weeks, inviting residents to share their views on proposed measures, which include a 2.99% rise in council tax. Additionally, fees for allotments, cemeteries, and bulky waste collections are expected to increase, although parking charges will remain unchanged.
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The council highlights that it has been grappling with unprecedented financial pressures, including over a decade of austerity measures imposed by central government, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Jeffries assured that the budget gap would be addressed without cutting services. Instead, savings would mainly come from rescheduling certain capital projects. “These aren’t cuts; they’re about balancing our budget,” he emphasized. “With reduced funding, we face the reality of needing to increase council tax.”
Councillor Izaac Tailford (Liberal Democrat, All Saints) was critical of the sustained year-on-year decline in government funding for local authorities, describing it as a heavy burden. “Our national government funding keeps decreasing while costs rise. It’s quite frankly appalling. This pressure is making things much tougher for us,” he said.
Tailford added, “While Cheltenham runs a well-managed council with sound finances, that may not be true for all councils and could push some into serious difficulty. It feels like the Labour government’s Christmas gift is coal.”
Residents are encouraged to review the full budget proposals and submit feedback by January 31, 2026, via [email protected].