Budget consultation summary 2026-27
The consultation on the draft budget for 2026-27 ran from 17 November 2025 to 12 January 2026.
Residents and stakeholders were invited to offer feedback and comments on the budget proposals for the year, including savings, additional costs, and fees and charges.
There were options to respond by survey (digital and paper), post and email.
You Said
Council Tax
We proposed freezing the Reigate & Banstead share of Council Tax for 2026-27.
74% of respondents supported this proposal.
Savings and efficiencies
We proposed making efficiency savings without cutting statutory or non‑statutory services. These included contractual savings, changes to how some staff posts are funded, and ending the physical publication of Borough News.
The consultation showed majority support for all savings and income proposals
Fees and charges
We proposed updates to some fees and charges across council services.
Feedback showed mixed views on these changes.
Additional costs and spending
We outlined areas where additional costs or spending were expected for 2026-27.
Responses showed mixed views on proposed spending areas.
Use of reserves
We proposed using a small portion of general reserves to help balance the budget.
There was majority support for using reserves in this way.
We did
The Reigate & Banstead share of Council Tax was frozen for 2026-27, consistent with the feedback received.
A balanced budget of £23.608 million for 2026-27 was approved, delivered through £1.909 million of net budget reductions, primarily from efficiency savings, without cuts to statutory or non‑statutory services. A draw on reserves of £0.350 million was agreed as part of this budget.
Following the consultation, we confirmed several efficiency measures, including:
- Contractual savings
- Updated funding arrangements for some staff posts
- Ending the physical publication of the resident magazine Borough News
Proposals for changes to fees and charges and additional costs were largely agreed as proposed.
Full details of the final budget decisions can be found in the papers considered by the Executive in January 2026 (moderngov.co.uk)
More information on the consultation methodology and participation can be found in the accompanying consultation report, at: Draft Budget Consultation 2026-27 (moderngov.co.uk).