Hart District Council’s Cabinet has put forward their draft revenue and capital budget proposals for approval at the February Full Council meeting.
In a continued climate of economic volatility and uncertainty, the draft Budget for 2025/2026 follows a deep dive into the council finances, identifying efficiencies that can be made to deliver solid and prudent finances in challenging conditions. Consideration has also been given to the sustainability of future budgets into more challenging years.
The budget includes funding for new projects Hart District Council are required to deliver over the coming year. These include the rollout of food waste collection services to all residents in Hart, due to be delivered from October 2025.
The report also identifies future budget pressures for the Council, such as meeting the costs of preparing for devolution and local government reorganisation and updating the Local Plan for Hart.
Recommendations have been made for a 2.99% Council Tax increase in the district element of the charge for residents. For the average Band D household in Hart, this equates to an extra £5.93 per year from their 2024/2025 bill. This will raise an extra £254,000 per annum.
There are also recommendations to increase parking charges in council-run car parks. Parking charges have not increased in over six years while costs to the Council in all other areas have faced constant increases. The rises, which will add an average 20p to a two-hour session, will raise an estimated £130,000 extra per annum.
This extra income will allow the Council to continue to provide vital services and support to community groups who work tirelessly across Hart. It will also allow them to maintain levels of council tax support. The current scheme supports 2,700 low-income households in Hart and provides much needed help for keeping bills down, particularly given recent changes announced by the government.
Councillor James Radley, Deputy Leader of Hart District Council and Portfolio Holder for Finance, said: “Just like many of our residents' household budgets, we and all other councils are facing challenging environments for our finances. This means we do have to make difficult decisions to be able to continue to deliver for Hart.”
“We’re committed to managing the Council’s finances efficiently and to meet any new requirements needed while facing these uncertain times.”