Council budget narrowly passed at second attempt

An independent-led council has agreed its budget for the next financial year at the second attempt.

Central Bedfordshire Council passed the budget on Thursday evening, with 21 councillors voting in favour, 17 voting against and 21 abstaining.

Adam Zerny, the authority's independent leader, said the government had "reduced our funding by £17m in one year" and "just getting a budget that balances with that kind of reduction is a huge achievement".

Richard Wenham, a Conservative councillor and opposition leader, said the budget had "an enormous number of risks and holes in it" and that the party did not think the administration was "capable of delivering it".

On 27 February councillors voted against a first attempt to set a budget, after some councillors took issue with changes to the Local Council Tax Support Scheme, which meant couples in Band C properties could face a council tax increase of more than £500 a year.

However an extra £500,000 has been added to a hardship fund to mitigate that, the council said.

Many authorities in England increased council tax by 4.99%, but Zerny claimed a cut in government funding had derailed plans for the authority to make a smaller rise of 3%.

He said: "We were very eager to keep the increase in line with inflation, but with a £17m cut from the government that proved impossible."

That meant people in Band D properties would pay an extra £91.80 a year from April.

The authority said the funding cut prevented it from putting £8.5m into its reserves and Zerny added jobs could now be at risk as a result.

"I am certain senior officers will be looking for every possible saving in the months to come and ultimately jobs are one of those avenues," he said.

Zerny added: "The government has told us we are not just down £17m in the year to come, but £85m over three years."

Meetings for leaders of the authority's six political groups would now take place every month to discuss its finances.

Patrick Hamill, one of two Reform UK councillors who voted in favour of the budget, said: "The working group means all groups are represented by their leaders so we all have an input."

"There will be no excuses if we can't get this [budget] right," he added.

The Conservatives voted against the budget and Wenham believed it would result "in a further depletion of reserves, cuts in services and leave residents facing an enormous increase in council tax plus further enormous cuts to services".

Hayley Whitaker, a Central Bedfordshire Community Network councillor, also voted against the budget, adding: "We have got a budget that might work for this year and then really it is quite scant for the next couple of years."

The Liberal Democrat councillors abstained from the vote and the group leader Shaun Roberts said: "It is not a good budget, but the best that could be done."

"The work starts now to make sure that next year we have got this council back on a firm financial footing," he added.

A Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government spokesperson said funding changes meant that nine in ten councils would get funding that "broadly matches their assessed need by 2028/29".

They added £78bn had been made available for councils for 2026/27, including £325.2m for Central Bedfordshire Council.

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