Thanet District Council approves budget for 2025-26 financial year

The Thanet District Council budget for the next financial year was approved unanimously by Full Council at a meeting held on Thursday 27 February.

The approved budget will be implemented in April 2025, in line with the start of the new financial year which runs from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
A statutory obligation, delivering a balanced budget is required each new financial year.  It funds the services provided to residents, communities and businesses throughout the year and comes after initial approval by Cabinet at a meeting on Thursday 20 February. 

The budget recommendations put forward were agreed, meaning that proposed spending on the many public services provided by the council can go ahead. 

The agreed budget includes ongoing investment to help improve public spaces; in particular graffiti removal, street cleaning and refurbishment of the public realm. It specifically means £120,000 is allocated for works to shelters in Marine Drive, Palm Bay and Westbrook. Broadstairs Clocktower has also been allocated £50,000 for refurbishment. Additionally, there is £150,000 of funding for one-off works to the Madeira Walk Waterfall, Ramsgate. Provision of £35,000 has been made for an outdoor gym at St Peter’s Recreation Ground and £10,000 is in place to support the current tree planting programme.

At the meeting, Councillors voted unanimously to include an additional £190,000 in the General Fund Capital Programme, to be funded from borrowing, to be used for play equipment in the district.

Councillors also approved the fees and charges for the next financial year. Overall they are set to rise by an average of 2%. The fees and charges in key areas such as parking, green waste collection and the crematorium will increase by an average of between 2% and 5%. 

It was also agreed that Bulky Waste fees will shift to a simplified charging method. A fixed charge of £28 will cover a collection of up to 3 items or 10 black sacks, and  £36 will cover a collection of 1 fridge freezer or sofa, or 5 items or 15 black sacks.

Residents were consulted in autumn 2024 on general satisfaction levels and on what they see as being most important and most in need of improvement. This helped to inform the budget process, ensuring that resources are targeted to the areas that matter most to local people; clean streets, thriving towns and feeling safe. A specific budget survey was subsequently made available for residents to provide feedback on the proposed budget for 2025-26. The proposed growth areas and one off spending were presented for consideration and results show broad support for these plans with more than three-quarters of respondents agreeing.

Councillor Rob Yates, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, said: "I'm very pleased that we've been able to deliver a balanced budget again this year. It's been a lengthy process, and I want to thank all council staff and councillors for their contributions. 

“This is the first time all Thanet Councillors have had the opportunity to vote for our £45.9m Temporary Accommodation acquisition programme to acquire 200 properties. Our intent is that no one made homeless in Thanet will need to be housed out of the area in the future, so it means a lot to have cross-party agreement on this bold legacy item that will also deliver significant cost savings.

“I believe everyone across our district will benefit from what we have agreed, whether that is in increasing recycling rates, improved playgrounds, more street cleansing resource, better safeguarding, additional graffiti removal, refurbished shelters, or safer streets. I would like to thank the public for their continued support as we continue to deliver on our progressive, compassionate, resident focused programme.”

Thanet District Council receives just 12p in every £1 of Council Tax paid by residents of Thanet. The rest goes to other local public sector organisations: Kent County Council (70.8%), Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Kent Fire & Rescue and Town and Parish Councils.

For 2025/26, Thanet’s share of the Council Tax will increase by 3%. This is the equivalent of a £7.87 increase each year for a Band D property - or an extra 15p per week.