Statement from Cllr Sir Steve Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council
Our focus in Barnsley is to invest in our borough. We do this because we want to give people ambition and a sense of pride in where they live.
We're proposing a balanced budget for 2025-2026, but we still need to make difficult choices to keep delivering the services that people need the most.
We received some additional government funding, which has reduced some of our financial pressures and provides welcome relief to places like Barnsley, who have disproportionately lost funding compared to wealthier areas during the years of austerity under the last government. However, this funding is likely to be a one-off, as the government is doing a full review of all spending on public services this year.
But this funding does mean we have some money to pilot investment in key areas, such as our young people and our communities, making a positive impact on people’s day-to-day lives.
Funding our day-to-day services
We estimate we’ll spend £34 million more on day-to-day running costs next year, and we’ve set aside money to help pay for extra demand and increased costs.
We’ve bridged a £19 million funding gap through a significant transformation programme, redesigning our ways of working to deliver better services.
We also propose to increase the council's element of Council Tax by 4.9%, with most households paying no more than an extra £1.37 per week. That's made up of 2% to support Adult Social Care and 2.9% to maintain other vital services.
We recognise the financial pressure on you and your families. It's an incredibly hard decision which hasn’t been taken lightly, but without this extra income, we would have to change or stop delivering some of our services.
Support for you and your family
If you're struggling to pay your Council Tax or need help with your finances, you can find lots of support on our More Money in Your Pocket webpage.
We also propose making changes to our Local Council Tax Support Scheme for working-aged people, prioritising those who need our support the most. These proposals have already been shared through a public consultation and take into account your views. You can read more details on our Council Tax Support webpage.
We’re proposing to invest £1.5 million in our children and young people
The Great Childhoods Ambition is our commitment to improving the lives and futures of our children and young people so that everyone can be the best they can be.
We recognise that they will face quite different challenges as they prepare for their future.
That’s why we’re investing in their skills, qualifications, and experiences so that they can achieve their greatest aspirations, gain pathways to work and have a better quality of life. This includes additional GCSE Maths and English support to help students catch up and excel, and the expansion of the 'Every Child a Coder' programme, equipping young people with essential digital skills for careers in AI and automation at our centre of digital excellence.
Additionally, along with existing projects like the Seam, Northern Academy for Vocal Excellence (NAVE), the Youth Activity Park and the upcoming opening of the Youth Zone, we’ll provide more opportunities for youth engagement and development.
We also know that travel can be a barrier to accessing activities and extra learning opportunities, and the cost-of-living crisis has put extra pressures on families.
To help lighten the load, we’re investing £5 million to pilot free bus fares for under 18s. We aim for the scheme to start from 1 August 2025.
We’re proposing to invest £3.5 million in our Neighbourhood Services
We’re listening to your feedback and intelligence from our services.
That’s why we have set aside £1.5 million to invest in local areas with plans to increase the sweeping of pavements, weed control, and improve key routes and areas.
In addition to this, we are also investing a further £2 million in small-scale infrastructure projects in local communities like replacing broken benches and adding new litter bins and flower planters.
Area and Ward Councils will be involved in deciding what is the top priority for the areas they represent but you will see physical improvements in the area you live in.
We’re proposing a £12 million investment to continue improving our highways
We’ve already made significant improvements to our roads, and you’ll see a real difference when you’re travelling throughout Barnsley.
We want Barnsley to be a great place to live, work and visit, and we know that our infrastructure is a key part of this.
To help achieve this, our current £8 million programme will be boosted by an additional £4 million (£2 million from our budget and £2 million from the government), allowing us to make improvements to estates and smaller streets across the borough.
The 2025-2026 budget proposals will be considered at Cabinet on Wednesday 5 February, before being presented to Full Council on Thursday 27 February. You can read the full report on our website.
