County plans for maximum council tax rise despite promises of cuts

REFORM SAID THEY WOULD SCRAP RISES BUT HAVE U-TURNED

- By EDDIE BISKNELL Local democracy reporter

DERBYSHIRE County Council is set to roll out multiple years of maximum council tax increases.

Budget papers published by the Reform-controlled authority for the next few years propose a maximum 4.99 per cent council tax increase for the coming financial year.

These papers also reveal that the current assumption is for further maximum council tax increases up until 2030.

Reform UK, which took control of the county council in May, had pledged to cut council tax levels, but has since U-turned on this plan due to the significant loss in funding and financial insecurity it would cause.

Its total spending for the next year stands at £838 million with a highlighted budget shortfall of more than £37 million, planning £22.4 million in savings in the 2026/27 financial year.

Of the current ongoing budget pressures, £26 million relates to children’s services, linked to rising demand and inflation, followed by nearly £5 million in adult social care.

The council says it will need to find an additional £66 million in budget cuts by 2030.

It suggests this could be met by using the authority's rainy day pot of reserves, but current and past financial directors have stressed that further use of these funds is not sustainable.

This followed the use of £50 million a year from reserves for three consecutive years under the former Conservative administration.

The budget report states: “The council is legally required to set a balanced budget in advance of the beginning of each financial year.