Budget

Our Cabinet recommends a budget and Council Tax for the coming year each February. This is done after a public consultation period.

Budget 2026 to 2027

In this year’s budget there is additional investment in the revenue budgets for Children’s Social Care of £23.5 million Adult Social Care of £16.6 million to address the continued increase in demand, cost and complexity in these areas.

There is also investment of £14.4 million in Home to School Transport and £2.9m in Temporary accommodation, due to increased demand and cost.

These critical areas make up 76% of the Council’s expenditure areas.

Revenue budget 2026/27 (£000's)
Portfolio Main
services
Net
budget
Percentage
of total budget
Resources Business
Operations, Major Projects and Assurance, Customer Services, Finance,
Revenues & Benefits, Human Resources, ICT, Property & Assets,
Regeneration, Legal Services, Democratic Services.
62,457 11%
Environment,
Climate Change & Waste
Environment,
Street Cleaning & Waste, Climate Change, Flooding
27,929 5%
Communities Community
Boards, Community Support and Community Safety, Car Parking.
1,229 0.2%
Culture
& Leisure
Culture,
Sport & Leisure
3,913 1%
Education
& Children's Services
Children’s
Social Care and Safeguarding, Education and Schools
131,146 23%
Health
& Wellbeing
Social
Care for Adults & Public Health
228,662 40%
Homelessness
& Regulatory Services
Homelessness,
Housing, Environmental Health, Crematoria & Cemeteries
11,036 2%
Leader Policy
& Communications, Economy  &
Investment, Strategic Infrastructure
6,014 1%
Planning Building
Control, Development Management, Planning Enforcement. Strategic Planning
5,390 1%
Transport Highways,
Transport Services including Home to School Transport, Transport Strategy,
87,265 15%
Portfolio
Budgets total
565,041 100%
Corporate
costs
Capital
Financing, Treasury Management, Reserves
41,620
Net
operating Expenditure
606,661
Capital programme 2026/27 (£000's)
Portfolio Expenditure Percentage
of total expenditure
Leader 51,874 25%
Environment,
Climate Change & Waste
16,745 8%
Culture
& Leisure
5,589 3%
Communities 1.169 1%
Transport 62,322 31%
Homelessness
& Regulatory Services
16,703 8%
Health
& Wellbeing
1,037 0.5%
Education
and Children’s Services
31,410 15%
Resources 16,729 8%
Planning 7 0.2%
Corporate 507 0.5%
Capital
expenditure
204,093 100%

Over the next 4 years, we'll be investing:

  • £225 million on Transport investment including:
    • £120m in Highways
    • £22m on bridge maintenance
    • £16 million on footways and rights of way
    • £9m on highways drainage
    • £19 million on road safety, streetlighting and other highways assets
    • £19m on improvement projects and cycleway schemes
    • £12m on bus infrastructure improvements
    • £3m on EV charge points
    • A further £21m on other Highways improvements
  • £158 million on schools, and school improvement projects
  • £101 million on strategic infrastructure, including Buckinghamshire’s significant Housing Infrastructure projects, including South East Aylesbury Link Road and astern Link Road Aylesbury.
  • £47 million investment in waste, including a new Household Recycling Centre in Buckingham, organic pollutant equipment, and waste vehicle replacement.
  • £32 million to support housing and homelessness, including delivery of affordable housing, temporary accommodation and disabled facilities grants
  • £24 million to support economic growth and regeneration, particularly in our town centres
  • £12 million on flood prevention and the climate change strategy
  • £9 million investment in culture, sport and leisure projects
  • £3 million in Children's Social Care to increase our own residential provision for looked after children

Budget 2025 to 2026

Buckinghamshire Council had a total budget of £577 million for 2025/26.

Read the Medium Term Financial Plan and Capital Programme document for 2025/26.

Budget 2024 to 2025

At its meeting on 21 February 2024, Full Council approved the Revenue Budget and Capital Programme for 2024/25.

Budget 2023 to 2024

At its meeting on 22 February 2023, Full Council approved the Revenue Budget and Capital Programme for 2023/24.

Budget 2022 to 2023

At its meeting on 23 February 2022, Full Council approved the Revenue Budget and Capital Programme for 2022/23.