MANY UK councils are in extreme difficulty. We’ve seen council administrations elected on unrealistic promises who then fail to manage financially and must slash vital services.

Despite the pressures of growing demand and reduced funding, Bath and North East Somerset Council’s budget for 2026/27 passed at full council on February 24 not only balances the books, it balances the Liberal Democrats’ financial prudence with our ambition for our area.

Putting the budget together is a complex task involving many officers and colleagues. I want to thank them all for their hard work and give cabinet member for resources Cllr Mark Elliott a special mention.

Our budget demonstrates our commitment to making our scarce funds work even harder so that they can go further. Whenever possible, we have earmarked funds for preventative services. By spending money earlier to tackle the issues we face, we not only save money in the longer run, we create better outcomes for residents, particularly the most vulnerable in our community.

We are investing in housing, building the first social and affordable council housing in a generation. We are providing temporary accommodation for homeless people and supported housing, building a bridge between homelessness and a permanent situation, at Grosvenor House and other sites. We are building new housing for adults with autism and learning disabilities at Englishcombe Lane.

Supporting vulnerable children and families is a top priority. We are creating new facilities including a long-awaited school at Culverhay in Bath for children with SEND, helping us avoid costly out-of-area transport. We are creating a school and two residential homes for children aged 11 to 18 with complex needs, including Autism and Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) challenges, at Charlton House in Keynsham.

Early intervention is proven to be much more effective than dealing with problems when they have become very serious. Our Connecting Families team supports families with complex needs to ensure they have the best outcomes. Domestic violence seriously damages families and casts a long shadow on all affected. We are investing in schemes to stop the perpetrators of domestic violence from reoffending.

We know how much residents care about potholes and the state of our roads; we are investing in highways maintenance to prevent costly repairs later.

Residents of Bath & North East Somerset have had the third lowest council tax of all South West unitary authorities, and with North Somerset raising theirs by nine per cent, we will be the second lowest. We provide excellent value for money; the Municipal Journal recently ranked us at number five in the top ten most productive councils in the country.

We face £12.5-million of funding cuts from central government over the next three years, and we are looking at how to mitigate this.

Our 2026/27 budget protects frontline services and invests in the things that matter to residents. This is the difference between a responsible administration and a careless one.

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