County council finance chiefs have drawn-up spending plans for 2025/26, that will include increasing council tax bills by 4.99 per cent and achieving 'savings' in excess of £42m.

Social care, children's services, highways, waste disposal and public health are among the services provided to Hertfordshire residents by the county council.

And £1.184bn spending proposals for the delivery of those services in 2025/26 have just been published by the council, as part of the annual budget-setting process.

The proposals highlight the financial impact of increasing demands for services and mounting costs facing the council.

And in an attached report, the council's own director of finance Stephen Pilsworth has warned that the financial position facing the county council has "never been more challenging".

According to the 387-page draft budget document,  funding for services has not kept pace with the council's "substantial" increase in costs.

It includes plans for £42m savings, the use of £3m of council budget reserves and an increase in council tax.

And it suggests the measures are needed to "enable the council to maintain, protect and improve services for residents as much as possible".

The suggested 4.99 per cent increase in council tax – of which two per cent is ring-fenced for adult social care – is the maximum increase allowed without a referendum.

And for a resident in a Band D property it would mean an increase in council tax of around £84 a year – equivalent to £1.62 a week.

According to the proposals, the inclusion of the proposed increase was "a very difficult decision".

But they say that the alternative would be "significant cuts to council services at a time when many people most need them".

The proposals will be presented to a meeting of the council's cabinet next week – and will be subject to councillor scrutiny and public consultation.

In a statement issued by the county council following the publication of the proposals, leader of the council Cllr Richard Roberts acknowledged the "significant" savings that would be required.

"From keeping Hertfordshire moving to helping residents who need the most support, we will be spending over a billion pounds delivering services across Hertfordshire and focussing on what really matters to you," he said.  

"The current economic outlook for the country and changes recently made by the government, means that our own costs will rise in 2025, but rather than rest on our laurels, we are working hard to bring these under control so that as little of these additional costs are passed onto you.

"Years of prudent financial planning have put us in a good position, but once again we are going to have to access our reserves and make significant savings to balance the budget."

According to the published proposals, of the £1.184bn revenue budget £527.3m would be allocated to adult care services, equivalent to £1.44m a day – with a further £289.2m earmarked for children's services.

There would be £100.8m allocated for community protection – which includes the fire service, public health and trading standards.

And £137.7m, according to the proposals, would be allocated to 'growth and environment', which includes waste disposal.

According to the proposals, the proposed £42m of savings – which follows £46m of planned savings in 2024/25 – is a "substantial target".

Of the £42m savings required, adult care services would be tasked with cutting £10.7m and children's services with £9.3m, with a further £9.3m to be saved from 'central items'.

The remaining planned savings in 2025/26 are £4.5m from community protection division, £5m from growth and environment and and £3.4m from resources.

The 2025/26 budget will be determined by a meeting of the full council on February 25.

Before that the proposals will be scrutinised by councillors. And there will be a period of public consultation.

An online survey on the proposed budget can be found at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/budgetsurvey and will be available until February 5.