Rutland County Council have approved the latest annual budget, agreeing to freeze general council tax and investing £23.8 million into vital community projects.

The budget plans were unanimously approved with the goal of Rutland staying financially stable and continue delivering local services without overspending.

This comes despite a reduction in government funding which gives Rutland a general grant allocation of just £641.40 per dwelling for 2026/27, which is far below the national average of £1,426.44.

An extra £6.5 million is needed to deliver Rutland's local services, due to inflation, service demand and unfavourable changes to business rates.

To address this, RCC has made plans for further savings, income generation and service adjustments.

This includes savings of £4.8m as well as generating an additional £1.3m of additional income.

At the meeting on Thursday 26 February, the council approved the 2026/27 budget, following a series of last-minute changes due to national schools funding.

In February, the government announced it would be reimbursing councils with large debts due to years of insufficient funding to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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The government will be providing authorities a new High Needs Stability Grant to pay 90% of the historic funding deficit, which has greatly reduced the level of risk in Rutland's budget, allowing the Council to generate more income from investment.

According to the council, the benefit of the authority's improved financial position has been passed directly onto Rutland residents in the form of a general council tax freeze.

The Council will only apply a 2% increase to the precept which will help fund adult social care services.

This 2% increase to Rutland's Adult Social Care precept means that Band D Council Tax rate will increase by 85p per week to £2,263.33 in 2026/27.

Councillor Andrew Johnson, Cabinet Member for Resources and Governance at Rutland County Council said: 'This budget is not just about numbers; it's about working together to keep services strong and council tax increases as low as possible.

'Despite inflation, rising demand and a further reduction in our general funding from national government, Rutland remains financially stable.

'Years of financial discipline, careful planning and shrewd decision-making mean that we can apply a general council tax free at a time when most authorities will be seeking the maximum of 4.9%.

'Not only that, but we can do so while maintaining local services at a high level and increasing our investment in a wide range of important community projects.'

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To find out more about Council tax and how this can affect you, click here for more information from Rutland County Council.