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Cheshire East budget

Cheshire East Council Budget

Every pound counts. We want to spend it where it matters most to you. 

By law, we must set a balanced budget - just like a household, we can’t plan to spend more than we bring in. We forecast income and costs like a weather forecast, planning for best and worst cases. 

All our spending is subject to external audit and public scrutiny, and we publish both our budget and detailed accounts on our website. You can also listen to the meetings of our Finance Sub-Committee and read the committee papers to understand how all our spending is scrutinised.

The challenge ahead

  • Current forecast: £2.3m gap by March 2026 (less than one percent of our £427m budget).

  • Next year’s gap could rise to £33m, driven by rising demand and inflation. This means tough decisions ahead. That’s why we’re asking you to have your say on how we balance our budget. 

Have your say

Over 2,200 of you shared where you think we should prioritise our spending in our budget prioritisation survey. Alongside this, we’ve worked up detailed budget proposals to help us balance the books – and now we want you to share your views on them.  

Live consultation on our budget proposals - closes 17 December 2025.

Your feedback shapes our decisions

Past consultations have influenced previous budgets. We publish the results of all consultations on our website, where you can see the impact they have had.

Community assemblies on our budget

Community assemblies are being held in Crewe (November) and Macclesfield (December) for invited residents from our digital influence panel. Sign up to the panel if you are interested in attending future assembly events.

Where does my council tax go? 

We deliver hundreds of services, many of which are legal duties. Almost 70p in every £1 goes towards supporting older people, adults with disabilities, and children at risk. 

Other key areas include: 

  • Highways and transport

  • Waste and recycling 

  • Parks and libraries

  • Education and schools

How £1 of your council tax is spent pie chart

 

When we show how each £1 is spent, salaries, pensions and expenses are already included within each segment. So for example, if 70p goes to social care, that includes the staffing costs needed to deliver those services. 

You might not see where most of your council tax goes - but someone else feels it every day.  That 70p in the pound means things like:   

  • A carer visits your neighbour so they can stay at home, not in hospital   
  • A child in care gets a safe bed tonight   
  • Someone with dementia gets help to eat and stay warm  

If you want to learn more, take a look at our detailed council tax pages.

Doesn’t the NHS pay for social care?

The NHS budget covers the cost of health care, which is funded differently. Social care spending is our responsibility, and it saves lives - without it, hospitals could be overwhelmed.

Our budget in detail

We’re currently asking you for your thoughts on our budget for the next year.

The budget for the current year was agreed at a full council meeting on 26 February 2025, as part of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2025–2029. 

You can read the full document here: 

It includes: 

  • How your council is funded (government grants, business rates, council tax)

  • The budget changes for each committee and plans for the next four years

  • Capital investment plans

  • Strategies for reserves, investment, and treasury management 

Page last reviewed: 17 November 2025