Welcome to our consultation questionnaire on Rother District Council's proposed budget and Council Tax for the financial year 2026/27.

Overview

Our budget for 2026/2027 amounts to around £50 million, which will be spent on a wide range of services for our residents, businesses and communities. 

The annual budget helps us to make the best use of resources and ensure that we are able to deliver on the priorities set out in our Council Plan, which are:

·         A Thriving Local Economy  We continue to make the most of the significant investment in our district, creating the right conditions to grow our economy, boost skills, and deliver well paid jobs. The district will be recognised as a world class visitor destination.

·         Live Well Locally  We will be recognised as an inclusive and fair district, planning the delivery of affordable homes and working with partners to support the wellbeing of our residents. We will enhance the quality of our residents’ lives by enabling the provision of good quality leisure facilities and access to open spaces.

·         Green to the Core  By taking bold action to tackle climate change and protect the environment in all that we do, we will make the district climate-resilient and reduce council emissions to net zero by 2030.

Why we need to set a balanced budget

The council is legally required to set a balanced budget every year. This means that the amount we spend on services cannot exceed the funding and income we receive. By maintaining a balanced budget, we will be able to deliver essential services to our communities.

What we do with the money

The Council operates and supports many services. On our web page for this consultation is a pie chart with a snapshot of where we spend the money we collect through our Council Tax.  

The challenges we face

In recent years, the demand for our services has grown while the costs of delivering them have also increased. At the same time, there are ongoing financial pressures across the public sector and many local councils are facing a funding gap for services. These factors have created a significant gap between our financial resources and the services we deliver.