Draft business plan and budget proposals that would see continued support for our communities suffering the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis were scrutinised and supported by a majority of the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion committee (CoSMIC) members – who yesterday (Thursday, 16 January) put forward their views for consideration by the Strategy, Resources and Performance committee on 28 January.
The CoSMIC committee has a significant role in ensuring ‘people are helped out of poverty and income inequality’, as part of our Strategic Framework and the council’s approach for achieving the vision of a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire. This is why, the council plans to prioritise:
- Continued support for the Poverty Strategy Commission, allowing it to conclude its work and ensuring we can respond to its recommendations with our partners
- Delivering an estimated £6million investment in services through delivering the Household Support Fund commissioning Citizen’s Advice to help people to maximise their income, providing food vouchers for families in need during the school holidays and helping people who are struggling with direct support
- Further improvements in our Libraries through £1.3million already committed for the Libraries Plus programme, creating more flexible spaces and expanding the range of services available to our residents.
Other proposals include:
- A review of resources in both the Coroners and Registration services following national changes in legislation
- More areas of focus for Trading Standards to include consumer safety, the national ban on single use vapes and revised food standards regulation
- Through ‘Our Future Council’ the role of libraries and community services will be further enhanced as the council continues to provide more services to local residents delivered through our libraries
- The Domestic Violence service, which supports victims and survivors of abuse across the county with partners, will refocus on the core requirements of delivering the council’s statutory duties, supporting those at highest risk of domestic abuse.
At its meeting in December, members of the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee began debating the draft business plan and budget. This plan has now been scrutinised by the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion committee. The feedback from all the council’s January policy and service committees, as well as feedback from our online public consultation (Business Plan and Budget 2025-26 Consultation Survey | Cambridgeshire County Council) and the views of Town and Parish Councils, other local and public authorities, business representatives and trade unions will be debated again by the Strategy, Resources and Performance committee when it meets in January. This committee will then put forward the final draft business plan and budget for debate and decision at the Full Council meeting on 11 February.
Cambridgeshire County Council’s 2025/26 business plan and budget will identify where to spend more than £1billion to deliver services and support for residents and communities across the county. Rising demand for these services, along with the increased costs and changes from government, continues to impact the council’s available funding. For 2025/26 we have a budget gap of £34.2 million that we need to address. That means we must also continue to make difficult choices about levels of council tax and where we can generate additional income, as well as where we invest and where we make savings.
Cllr Tom Sanderson, Chair of the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We recognise the financial challenges that we are facing as a county, and in recent years we have seen an increase in the number of residents concerned about the cost of living, with many reporting they have changed their behaviours as a result. We want to continue to help people with direct support, with advice to maximise their income and access household goods as well as support, via Children’s Education and Families, for holiday food vouchers for those in most need.
“I’m pleased we’re suggesting further improvements to our libraries – where many of the council’s resident-facing interactions take place. We know 24% of residents felt that improving libraries was a top priority for creating a fairer Cambridgeshire.
“Although we do not receive sufficient funding from Government to meet the needs of the growing population in Cambridgeshire, we are committed to ensuring the council delivers value for money in the services it provides. That is why the majority of this committee supports the proposals today.”
The views of all policy and service committees, and the views of residents, partners and business representatives, will be put before the Strategy, Resources & Performance Committee on 28 January so it can make a final recommendation on the business plan and budget to Full Council, which meets to debate and agree this plan on 11 February.
For more information on the council’s proposals for the coming year visit - County Council to spend more than £1billion across Cambridgeshire in the coming year | Cambridgeshire County Council
