We're asking for your views to help shape our 2027–28 budget. We spend more than £2.8 billion each year on services used by over 1.6 million people. These services include:

• Social care services for children and adults

• Education and school transport

• Recycling and waste disposal

• Public health services

• Libraries

• Maintaining roads and highways.

The consultation is open for 10 weeks, from 30 June to 7 September 2026.

Why are we asking?

We are facing higher costs with more people needing support. This is especially true for services that help children and adults with support needs. These services now use around two-thirds of our budget.

Although we receive money from the Government and Council Tax, this is not enough to cover all of the rising costs. This means we need to look at ways to save money, increase income, and make sure we can balance the budget.

We would like your views on:

• Which services should be protected, and which could have savings made.

• Ideas for saving money or bringing in extra income.

• Different Council Tax options.

What happens next?

Your feedback will be considered by County Councillors before budget proposals are finalised. The final budget will be considered for approval in February 2027.