What It Pays For
Council Tax is collected to pay for a number of local services.
We collect Council Tax to pay for local services such as:
- schools
- emergency services
- bin and recycling collections
- roads and street lights
- libraries
- planning services
Some of these services are provided by other authorities so your Council Tax includes payments to Gloucestershire County Council, Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire and if your property is in Quedgeley, to Quedgeley Town Council.
Spending plans for Gloucester City Council
Council Tax is the main source of locally-raised income for this council and is used to meet the difference between the amount we wish to spend and the amount we receive from other sources such as business rates and government grants.
In setting the level of Council Tax, we've kept in mind the difficult economic and financial climate that many of our residents face. Our funding from central government has dropped sharply in the period 2010 to 2024, and future funding levels are uncertain. We must consider what level of increase in Council Tax is sustainable, without creating an increased risk of service cuts and/or larger tax increases in the future.
The average Council Tax you'll pay for services provided by us is £230.16 for a band D taxpayer. This is an increase of £6.68 over last year, that's under 13 pence per week.
Budget comparison
| Budget Requirement | 2024/25 | 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|
| Service | £ | £ |
| Corporate and Democratic Core | 354 | 355 |
| Transformation and Commissioning | 3,974 | |
| Performance and Resources | (6,795) | (3,789) |
| Cultural and Leisure Services | 2,230 | 2,069 |
| Communities | 8,707 | 8,820 |
| Place | 952 | 871 |
| Total net cost of services | 9,240 | 8,326 |
| Net interest | 3,501 | 3,017 |
| Pension contributions | 2,647 | 3,129 |
| Minimum revenue provision | 1,181 | 1,311 |
| Budget requirement | 17,199 | 15,784 |
| Transfer to reserves | 202 | 104 |
| Funded by: | ||
| Business Rates Retention | (7,200) | (6,200) |
| New Homes Bonus | (811) | (217) |
| Funding Support Grant | (39) | (314) |
| Services Grant | (26) | (150) |
| Revenue Support Grant | (273) | (105) |
| Council Tax deficit brought forward | ||
| Which leaves Council Tax payers to fund | 9,502 | 8,694 |
Budget comparison
| Budget comparison | £ | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Budget requirement - Prior Year | 15,784 | 14,280 |
| Increased costs and budget pressures | 3,411 | 2,831 |
| Budget efficiencies/income generation | (1,506) | (1,252) |
| Savings target | (300) | (75) |
| Budget requirement - Current Year | 17,389 | 15,784 |
How our budget compares
Our general fund working balance is forecast to be £0.912m at the end for the 2023/24 financial year.
Investment in the future
Our capital investment will fund major regeneration projects, including Kings Square, Kings Quarter as well as continued transformation of council services.