Our resources

Where the Council's funding comes from in 2024/25

The funding the council will use to provide services in 2024/25 comes from various sources including:

Our resources 

£000s

Business Rates

-43,763

Council Tax

-105,096

Government Grants

-45,063

Dedicated Schools Grants

-100,516

Fees, Charges, Contributions and Other Specific Grants

-112,576

Reserves and Balances

-1,180

Total Reserves

-408,193

Some of the services we charge for are discretionary. This means that councils are not under an obligation to provide them and they could be provided by a commercial organisation or a community group or partnership. In such cases, it is the council's policy that the people who choose to use those discretionary services should help to pay directly for what they use. Consultation results have supported this principle and feedback has discouraged the use of subsidy from council tax to pay for discretionary services such as Leisure Centres and Harbours. As a result, there is now a clear intention to move some of those discretionary services towards a more commercial business model where they are fully self funding and effectively receive £0 subsidy.

However, alongside this approach, all councils have to balance the level of charges which the market will bear.  As well as recognising the council's wider role in supporting people to live active healthy lives, promoting tourism and the economy and ensuring the safety of our community. In addition, any form of trading by public services requires express statutory authority and so is governed by complex legislation.

Fees and charges information is available from within relevant service based areas of the website.