The plans will see a gross spend of £45 million to deliver vital local services in 2026/27. These include planning, leisure, parks and playgrounds, parking, housing, environmental health, refuse and recycling, and street cleaning.
To balance the books, the council has had to find savings or generate additional income to close a £890,000 budget gap. This brings the total savings achieved since 2020 to £10 million.
For 2026/27, this has been delivered primarily through changes to car park operational hours, tariffs and maximum stay periods; fees and charges rising in line with inflation; and a move from a lease model to an agency agreement with Everyone Active, which runs the council’s leisure facilities. This change secures financial benefits for the council and improves the long-term financial sustainability of leisure services.
£250,000 has been allocated to reserves to fund projects supporting the council’s agreed corporate priorities, although it may instead be required to respond to financial pressures arising from recent events in the Middle East.
The council has also set aside £0.5 million this year to meet anticipated costs associated with Local Government Reorganisation, with a government decision expected later this year on how local councils in Hertfordshire will be reorganised into unitary authorities.
To help meet the rising cost of providing services, councillors agreed a council tax increase of 2.99%. This is below inflation and will see the average Band D household pay an extra £5.99 a year, bringing the total yearly cost for East Herts Council services to £207.03.
The details of the council’s capital spending programme have also been confirmed, with the majority of funding allocated to the redevelopment of Old River Lane in Bishop’s Stortford.
Councillor Carl Brittain, Executive Member for Financial Sustainability, said: “East Herts Council provides key local services that people rely on every day, yet we only receive about 10% of the
council tax that we collect. Raising our share of council tax is never a decision taken lightly but one that is necessary to continue delivering vital services as our costs continue to rise.
“We have worked hard to close the budget gap through careful financial management and generating additional income, while still protecting frontline services. This year’s budget puts us on a sustainable footing and ensures we can continue investing in our communities, our places and the services that matter most to residents.”
The budget papers are available to view on the council’s website.