Big Conversation

Stirling Council its 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.

The council’s recently approved medium term financial strategy underlines the scale of the financial challenge it faces over the next five years, with an indicative budget gap of £12.9m in 2025/26, rising to £51.3m by 2029/30.

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 are being encouraged to share their views on the budget in two surveys.

More than 800 people took part in the first survey in October and November. The survey followed on from last year’s Big Conversation, with residents sharing their views on services that work well, areas where there should be a greater focus along with suggestions for generating more revenue and transforming how the council works.

The second survey, which is now live, is an opportunity for people to feedback on detailed proposals to help tackle the council’s estimated £13 million budget shortfall next year (2024/25).

The proposals include potential savings across a range of council services as well as possible ways to increase income.

It is likely these savings will impact everyone in some way, so please have your say as your feedback will inform the decisions made on next year’s budget and how we deliver these key services.

Take part via the Engage Stirling website by following the link below. Paper copies will also be available in libraries. The closing date for this survey is Sunday 2 February 2025.

We will also continue to engage regularly with staff, trade unions, local partners, some groups of service users and other key stakeholders throughout the budget-setting process.

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

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.