Budget to deliver services and support Swindon Plan outlined
The councillor responsible for Swindon Borough Council’s finances is confident the organisation can help drive local economic growth and deliver essential services through its next budget.
Published: Wednesday, 5th February 2025
![Civic Offices](http://www.swindon.gov.uk/images/rsz_civic_offices___copy.jpg)
Councillor Kevin Small will tell senior councillors at next week’s Cabinet meeting (12 Feb) that the Council will spend more than £188m on services for residents during the next financial year, as well as continuing to progress the Swindon Plan’s missions to build a fairer, better and greener Swindon.
The budget proposes increasing capacity in council departments, including the planning function, to help facilitate economic growth and attract new investment into Swindon. As part of the build a better Swindon mission, the Council is inviting investors to an event at the House of Lords in March, to hear how they can be part of efforts to reinvent the town centre, including plans to build up to 5,000 new homes.
Next week, the Cabinet Member for Finance will also outline new plans through the capital programme to use £3.4m of government funding to help create 158 more new places for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Swindon. This would add to the £22.4m already being spent on extra SEND provision.
Also through the capital programme, at no cost to council taxpayers or the services provided by their money, the Council is looking to invest £250m over the next five years to raise the standard of council housing for families across Swindon.
With the budget for social care services for children and adults forecasted to be at an all-time high next year, the Council is proposing to make £14.4m in savings across the Council to help balance the books. This includes £1.4m in initial savings from the first year of a major four-year transformation programme, with further savings expected in 2025-26.
To be able to close a forecast £14.7m budget gap for next year (2025-26), the Council has applied to the Government for permission to use its money more flexibly. This would allow the Council to use funds typically reserved for long-term investments to meet the costs of day-to-day operational spending for 12 months.
The budget proposals being discussed next week assume a 4.99 per cent rise in Council Tax (2.99 per cent in core council tax with an additional two per cent increase ringfenced for adult social care). This would see the average council tax bill increase by £1.63 per week, excluding precepts from other bodies (Police, Fire & Parish Councils).
Councillors will also be told that the latest forecast shows a £5.8m overspend for this year’s budget, largely caused by the cost of meeting high demand for social care. Recruitment and other spending controls remain in place to minimise the use of reserves to cover the shortfall.
Councillor Kevin Small, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “The headlines around this budget will inevitably focus on how we intend to close our budget gap for next year but, despite our serious financial position, it’s important to keep some perspective.
“We will have a £188m revenue budget next year to fund services and take forward the Swindon Plan, including progressing plans to reinvent the town centre and drive economic growth. This is important as the future prosperity of Swindon will also have a positive knock-on impact on the Council’s finances.
“We also plan to invest millions of pounds through our capital programme to further expand SEND provision and improve social housing across Swindon, which will include our historic Railway Village.
“Meanwhile, we have a clear plan for how the Council can transition to a more financially sustainable position over the next four years. In the short term, having greater flexibility in how we use our funding would mean we avoid having to cut services any further and prevent larger increases in council tax bills.
“It gives us the time to fundamentally change how the Council operates going forward. This will see us focus on early intervention and prevention, so that we can work alongside residents to help them live safe, healthy and independent lives for as long as possible.”