APPENDIX 2

 

MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY TABLES

 

Core Planning Assumptions

The table below sets out the core planning assumptions included in the MTFS projections:

 

 

2025/26

2026/27

2027/28

2028/29

2029/30

Pay inflation and pay related matters:

 

 

 

 

 - Provision for pay award

2.75%

2.75%

2.50%

2.50%

2.50%

 - Employers pension contribution rate change**

0.00%

-4.90%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

General inflation:

 

 

 

 

 

 - Inflation on social care third party payments

3.00%

2.50%

2.50%

2.50%

2.50%

 - Inflation on non-pay expenditure

1.00% - 3.00%

1.00% - 3.00%

1.00% - 3.00%

1.00% - 3.00%

1.00% - 3.00%

 - Inflation on waste PFI

3.50%

3.50%

3.50%

3.50%

3.50%

 - Inflation on income

3.00%

3.00%

3.00%

2.50%

2.50%

 - Inflation on parking income

3.00%

3.00%

3.00%

2.50%

2.50%

 - Inflation on penalty charge notices

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

Resources:

 

 

 

 

 

Change to Revenue Support Grant (RSG)

1.65%

1.63%

1.64%

1.98%

1.98%

Business rates poundage inflation uplift

1.65%

1.63%

1.64%

1.98%

1.98%

Assumed council tax threshold increase

2.99%

2.99%

2.99%

2.99%

2.99%

Adult Social Care Precept

2.00%

2.00%

2.00%

2.00%

2.00%

Council Tax Base

1.50%*

0.87%

0.86%

0.61%

0.61%

*Included the introduction of Second Homes Premium which is equivalent to a 0.9% increase in the tax base

**The Employer Pension rate will reduce from 19.80% to 14.90% from 1st April 2026 for three years


 

Summary of MTFS projections

The table below sets out the savings /budget gap, taking into account the anticipated expenditure over the MTFS period and the funding resources available:

 

Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026 to 2030

2026/27

2027/28

2028/29

2029/30

£m

£m

£m

£m

Net Budget Requirement B/Fwd

264.819

281.740

295.585

309.843

Remove net one off short term funding and expenditure

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

Net Budget Requirement B/Fwd

264.819

281.740

295.585

309.843

Standard Pay and Inflation – Expenditure

13.137

12.987

13.303

13.667

Standard Inflation - Income

(3.446)

(3.550)

(3.112)

(3.189)

Demographic and inflationary pressures in Adult Social Care including Adult Learning Disabilities

1.285

9.495

9.724

10.120

Demographic and inflationary pressures for Children’s disability, Children in Care, and Care Leavers

2.595

1.620

1.771

1.396

Temporary Accommodation and Rough Sleepers - cost and demand pressures

11.106

1.100

1.762

1.650

Home to School Transport - cost and demand pressures

1.285

0.670

0.738

0.809

Estimated loss of funding from Fair Funding Reform

6.000

2.500

6.000

0.000

Estimated loss of other grant income

0.700

4.183

0.000

0.000

Income Pressure: New England House

1.200

0.000

0.000

0.000

Housing Benefit Subsidy Shortfall

2.400

0.000

0.000

0.000

All other pressures across council services

7.373

5.564

5.117

5.686

Commitment - Change in contributions to/from reserves

3.015

(1.125)

0.000

0.000

Commitment - Change in financing Costs

0.913

1.618

0.620

(0.172)

Commitment - Pay award 2025/26 above 2.75% inflation assumption

0.827

0.000

0.000

0.000

Commitment – Reduction in Employer Pension contribution rate

(6.920)

0.000

0.000

0.000

Commitment - impact of previous decisions, grant changes and assumptions

0.377

1.803

0.703

1.396

Budget Gap (Savings Requirement)

(24.926)

(23.020)

(22.368)

(16.344)

Budget Requirement C/Fwd

281.740

295.585

309.843

324.862

 


Funded by:*

 

 

 

 

Revenue Support Grant

8.932

9.078

9.258

9.441

Locally retained Business Rates

63.507

64.862

66.468

68.114

Collection Fund position

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

Council Tax including Adult Social Care Precept

209.301

221.645

234.117

247.307

Total Funding

281.740

295.585

309.843

324.862

*Note – the presentation of resources will change considerably within the February report due to the changes expected from the Fair Funding review and the consolidation of a number of funding streams into Revenue Support Grant