Today (Thursday, 11 December), councillors on the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee considered the next stage in the development of the Council’s draft business plan and budget proposals for 2026/27.
The Committee also considered the emerging new vision for the authority for ‘a healthy, fair and sustainable Cambridgeshire’, supported by three ambitions which would shape all future business planning activities.
The proposed ambitions are to:
- Support a green and sustainable county
- Enable full, healthy lives for all
- Ensure fairness and opportunity wherever possible.
The County Council must set a legal budget to deliver public services for Cambridgeshire, including social care, highways, education, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), waste disposal, public health, child protection, libraries and community services.
The draft business plan and budget paper discussed at committee sets out the latest financial position for the year ahead (2026-27), projecting growth of £31 million in the 2026-27 revenue budget – a 5.4% increase on 2025-26 – enabling the council to continue investing in key services. This would give the council a net budget of just over £600 million in 2026-27, and a gross total of about £1.2 billion once schools and services funded by specific grants from Government are included.
Demand for council services is growing as people live longer, often with multiple long-term conditions that need support from health and social care, and more children and young people are being identified with special educational needs and mental health needs. Meeting these needs remains a priority, whilst also managing the impact of inflation and the limits on the funding the council receives.
To develop a legal and balanced budget for 2026-27 and deliver the revised ambitions, the council has had to identify £40 million through a combination of savings or extra income. Proposals set out at the committee mean that a £6.4m gap now remains, which will have to be closed before the Council sets its final business plan and budget in February 2026.
The draft business plan and budget proposals for 2026-27 will now be scrutinised by service and policy committees throughout January. Any feedback will then be presented to the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee on 29 January 2026, where councillors will consider the results of the second phase of the council’s budget consultation survey, alongside the detail of the Local Government Finance Settlement from Government, which is due later in December, before making final recommendations to the Full Council on 10 February 2026.
Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, said:
“We are using this year’s business plan and budget to keep the council financially sustainable, taking a prudent long-term approach so we can go on investing and prioritising valued and core services. Our refreshed Vision and Strategic Framework will sit at the heart of this, setting out what matters most for Cambridgeshire as informed by our communities, and guiding how we shape and allocate our budget for communities now and in the future.“We will continue to face financial pressures, with rising costs and a growing population – particularly in children’s and adults’ social care. Nearly two thirds of our spending goes towards social care, with other major commitments in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), home to school transport and maintaining our highways.
“Each budget round is challenging, but this also presents opportunities to consider how we invest in what matters most to residents, so they can be part of a healthy, fair and sustainable future in Cambridgeshire.
“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has shared their views so far, and I encourage residents to keep engaging with us as we shape the year ahead.”
The business planning and budget consultation runs until 7 January 2026, with results reported to the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee on 29 January 2026.
You can find out more and have your say on our website.
You can read the full business plan and budget proposals on our website. The meeting was live streamed on the council’s YouTube channel.
