Proposed Budget for 2026/2027

Introduction

In publishing our budget proposals for 2026/2027, our approach follows the same fundamentals as last year – focusing on the ongoing revenue pressures and delivering against our financial sustainability plans and our Capital Investment Plan. All the while we will ensure we concentrate on the things that you have told us matter to you.

What we can say is that Torbay Council has remained in a secure financial position for a number of years. This has been achieved through us being strict with our decisions and careful planning. As a result, there are relatively few changes in this year’s budget compared with last year.

There are no substantive cuts to any services, and we are looking at directing funding to a small number of areas where significant pressure has built up over the past 12 months. This is about rebalancing the budget as we move forward, ensuring resources are targeted where they are genuinely needed.

The rate Government are expecting us to increase Council Tax by is 4.99% - 2% is the levy for Adult Social Care and can only be spent in this area with 2.99% expected for other services. Cabinet though have decided, as they have for the last two years, to only increase by 2.75% - which makes the total Council Tax increase 4.75%.

This consultation is asking for your views on a number of these ideas, and Cabinet want to hear which of these you feel should be prioritised. The consultation runs until 18 January 2026 and responses will be carefully taken into account alongside feedback from the Overview and Scrutiny Board.

This will inform the Cabinet’s final proposals which will be considered at the meeting of the Council on 26 February 2026. You can have your say by answering the questions in the online consultation questionnaire on the link below.

Timetable

Consultation on the budget proposals for the next financial year is now open until midnight on Sunday 18 January 2026 and we would like to hear your views on these. Please take a look at the Budget Overview document before taking part in the consultation questionnaire on the link below. As part of the consultation process, our Overview and Scrutiny Board will be holding its Priorities and Resources Review Panels in the week commencing 8 December 2025. They will be discussing the Cabinet’s proposals in detail. The Board’s formal response to the consultation will be agreed at its meeting on Wednesday 14 January 2026.

Having considered the feedback from the consultation (including from the Overview and Scrutiny Board), the Cabinet will agree its final budget proposals at its meeting on Tuesday 17 February 2026. This will start at 5.30pm, being held at the Town Hall, Torquay. This meeting will be open to the public to attend as well as live streamed on our YouTube channel.

The Council will then meet on Thursday 26 February 2026 to approve the revenue and capital budgets. Council Tax levels will be also set at the meeting as the Council has to wait for notifications from the Fire and Rescue Authority, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Brixham Town Council before setting the overall Council Tax for Torbay.

Details of the meetings when the budget proposals will be discussed are available on the meetings and decisions page.

Initial consultation documents