Bedford Borough Council has approved an amended 2026/27 budget after a series of late changes, including dropping proposed savings linked to councillor allowances and average speed cameras and adding new spending on the town centre and community safety.
The revised budget includes extra funding for street cleaning and public toilet cleaning, and £96,000 for two new Anti-Social Behaviour Officers covering Bedford town centre and Queens Park, in addition to provision already funded by Bedfordshire Police.
Changes were also made to support vulnerable residents, with the temporary accommodation budget increased using an uplift in the government’s Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant.
Read: Bedford Borough councillors agree budget with almost 5% council tax rise
Subject to government approval of financial support, the council also plans to strengthen its Social Care reserve by £1 million to provide additional assurance against rising pressures in children’s services.
To help fund the amendments, the council reduced its Funding Formula contingency by £336,000.
Council tax will increase by 4.99%, made up of a 2.99% core rise and a 2% Adult Social Care precept, with councillors citing “unavoidable cost pressures”.
The budget was approved by 16 votes to 11, with 16 abstentions.
Savings dropped
One of the changes in the final package was the removal of a proposed £100,000 saving linked to the council’s Members’ Allowances scheme.
A council report said the savings had been intended to “rationalise and/or consider freezing” councillors’ allowances, but this was removed from the approved budget.
Council papers note that allowances are reviewed annually by an independent body, and that individual councillors may choose not to accept any increase.
A proposed saving linked to the maintenance and calibration of average speed cameras was also removed. Instead, the council allocated funding for the coming year to allow more time for longer-term options to be considered.
Second attempt
This was the second time the budget has been brought forward for approval, after an earlier version was voted down by 18 to 16, with 11 abstentions.
Despite the amendments, council papers acknowledge that the authority’s financial position remains challenging.
The approved budget assumes a pending government decision on Exceptional Financial Support from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, with financial planning including provision for £25 million of support in 2026/27.
Exceptional Financial Support allows councils to fund certain revenue costs through borrowing or capital receipts. In practice, this can mean borrowing over many years or selling assets to help plug budget gaps.
The council has said it will continue to monitor spending pressures closely as it moves into the new financial year.
The budget agreement comes amid a turbulent period as government officials conduct a Best Value inspection to determine whether the processes and culture at Borough Hall are working in the best interests of Bedfordians.
- Read: Government inspectors to examine Bedford Borough Council as financial pressures continue
- Read: What is a “best value” inspection – and why does it matter to Bedford?
The council is legally required to set a balanced budget by the end of February ahead of the new financial year beginning on April 1.
By John Guinn, Local Democracy Reporter
Additonal reporting by Paul Hutchinson, Bedford Independent
