Big Conversation

Stirling Council is continuing the Big Conversation with residents about how it tackles another significant budget shortfall next year (2025 to 2026).

The council must plug a budget gap in 2025/26 despite making up a shortfall that eventually amounted to more than £18m in the current financial year (2024/25). This was delivered by savings across council services, the use of one off reserves and increases to fees and charges.

Since 2014/15, the council has made £45m of year-on-year savings.

In 2024/25, just over 71% of overall funding to support Stirling Council’s delivery of services comes from the Scottish Government grant and business rates, with the other 29% generated from council tax, housing rents, and council reserves.

Our total budget for day-to-day and running costs (known as "revenue") is £319.1m in 2024/25. See below for a breakdown of where our money comes from and what we spend our money on.

The council faces this unprecedented financial situation due to external funding pressures, rising costs and inflation as well as increasing demand for services. These financial challenges are mirrored at local authorities across Scotland.

Residents will be encouraged to share their views on the budget in two surveys.

The first survey will allow people to have their say on the council services and supports they value most, as well as ways the council can save money and increase income. It will also cover areas such as council tax, with a closing date of 17 November 2024.

The questions in the first survey are based on the feedback we received in last year’s "Big Conversation", which saw more than 3,400 people participate in an online survey and almost 700 people attend 24 events across the council area.

Last year the strength of feeling in our communities for Stirling’s public services was clear. You told us about your concerns for local government funding, but you also told us you found it difficult to answer closed questions about specific saving proposals. You instead wanted more opportunity to tell us about the services you valued, what you liked and disliked about service delivery, and how we could do better and be more efficient. You also told us your views on raising council tax to raise income and help bridge the budget gap.

These areas of interest are reflected in the questions in the first survey which will ensure we reflect your views as proposals to close next year’s budget gap are developed.

Have your say to help us negotiate this unprecedented challenge together. Take part via the Engage Stirling website by following the link below. Paper copies will also be available in libraries. Please ask library staff for more details.

The second survey will be published in early 2024 following the announcement of the annual Scottish Government local government settlement. The survey will last around one month and will include detailed savings proposals to bridge the estimated gap, which you will be able to feedback on.

We will also be engaging regularly with staff, local partners, some groups of service users and other key stakeholders throughout the budget-setting process.

The findings from the Big Conversation surveys will be presented to councillors for consideration and to help inform decisions when they set the budget in late February 2025.

We will be sharing updates and key facts and figures on social media channels during the surveys. Use the hashtag #BigConversation2526 to provide feedback and ideas.

If preferred, a paper copy of the survey is available for download below.

You can complete this and return it to any Stirling Council library. 

See below for a breakdown of where our money comes from, what we spend it on and what your council tax pays for.

Read the equality and socio-economic impact documentation related to each of the Council’s 2024-25 budget saving proposals.

Any financial figures in these documents reflect the maximum budget saving for each proposal considered. The finalised costs associated with the proposals can be found in the motions that are part of the draft budget reports in the agenda papers.

The results of the August 2023 budget consultation are available to download below.