Nottingham City Council is proposing to freeze Council Tax next year after making major improvements to its finances over the last two years, supported by an increase in funding from the Government.
The council has set out a fully balanced draft budget for 2027/28 and a Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) which, if approved, would see additional investment in services, including more community protection officers and extended library opening hours, as well as a significant reduction in council debt, all without the need to increase Council Tax.
The proposals are due to be discussed by the Council’s Executive Board on 20 October before the launch of a six-week consultation to seek the views of local residents, businesses and partner organisations.
The draft budget and MTFP would then be formally approved at a Full Council meeting in March next year.
Councillor Ethan Radford, the Council’s Deputy Leader, said that although the draft budget is currently based on no increase in Council Tax, the council wants to use the consultation to set out how much additional funding for services could be raised by increasing Council Tax, so residents can provide feedback on whether they favour a freeze or an increase.
“Over the last year, we have invested £45m in Nottingham people and the services that local people have told us matter most, from fixing potholes and putting more community safety officers on the streets to free bulky waste collections, free holiday swimming for under-16s and free access to our leisure centres for older people.
“We have been able to do this thanks to our improved financial position and increased funding from the Government. At the same time, we delivered the lowest Council Tax increase for 18 years, and now we are proposing to go even further than that.
“We are now in a position to deliver investment in services and balance the council budget while also freezing Council Tax. This would mean no increase in Council Tax. As the council’s financial position becomes stronger, we believe it’s only right that those benefits are passed on to Nottingham taxpayers. Freezing Council Tax will keep millions of pounds in the pockets of Nottingham households at a time when many are struggling with the cost of living.
“While we’re confident we can balance the books without increasing Council Tax, we still want to give residents the option to have their say on whether they want us to raise Council Tax, if so, by how much, and how they would like us to use that extra revenue if we were to do so.
“We will be making a final decision on Council Tax early in the new year, but we would welcome as many residents as possible engaging with this year’s consultation on the budget and Council Tax and telling us whether they agree with our proposals.”
