Thinking of the future for services and innovation
January 2026
January is a busy time for the District Council as we stretch our 2026-2027 budget to cover all the things we want to do to make our residents’ lives better.
A year ago, during budget-setting time, we wanted to make sure residents were getting the best possible services and we were also providing much-needed community support.
Money was included to address those most affected by the rising cost of living. Action was taken to improve public safety and well-being as well as air quality and the environment more generally.
With just three months left of the 2025-2026 financial year, we are taking stock.
We have funded, among other initiatives:
- A Cost-of-Living Crisis Mitigation Fund directly targeting hardship caused by rising costs, working with selected partners
- Advice on energy debt and energy efficiency and access to boiler replacement schemes
- More Council-owned housing to reduce spending on temporary accommodation
- Security measures to protect pedestrians in crowded areas during busy markets or festivals
- Early detection tests for prostate cancer, high cholesterol and diabetes (in partnership with the Graham Fulford Trust) as part of a Health Awareness Programme
- A Community Grant Scheme, designed to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ Days, to improve community facilities, such as village halls
- The Indigo on-demand transport service
- A Women’s Aid Domestic Violence project working with partners to develop training, community awareness and accommodation
- A Climate Change and Nature Fund that not only provides community buildings with solar panels, heat pumps, battery storage and LED lights, but also includes projects that prevent surface-water flooding and restore community woodland
- A Trees for Parish Councils Fund and a Trees for Farmers project - working with partners
- Natural Flood Management projects to protect three vulnerable communities.
We have also spent money on our leisure centres to improve their energy efficiency with solar panel installations on the Stratford and Shipston Leisure Centres. Further panels are planned for other leisure facilities
Meanwhile, working with partners, seated exercise classes have been introduced in community venues across the District as part of our wider health and well-being initiatives.
All of this has been achieved with a budget that is far less than a tenth of residents’ Council Tax bill. All the District Council keeps from what it collects is just 7.1% (£169.12) a year for a Band D property.
From this sum, the District Council provides services including waste and recycling collections, planning services, environmental health, homelessness prevention, leisure facilities, economic development support, community safety, environmental projects and much more.
Far bigger sums go to Warwickshire County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner, while town and parish councils also get their share of the Council Tax collected.
Looking forward to next year, the budget we are working on for 2026-2027 will continue to improve services and develop new and existing initiatives.
We must also consider, however, a future when government-directed changes to local councils take effect. Our aim is to provide excellent services and community support during a seamless handover to our unitary successor. This despite the disruption that will inevitably be a part of such major change.
We believe it is our duty to ensure, as far as we are able, that the new unitary council has a sustainable, resilient future, is innovative and transformational, yet remains close to our communities. This must guide our 2026-27 budget.
