Budget setting

The Council is setting the 2026/27 budget during a time of big changes to local government funding, and we won’t know our exact funding until the end of the year.

Set out in this consultation are £28.2 million of savings options which we would welcome your views on.

Financial planning

Walsall Council has a strong track record of careful planning, cost control and saving delivery, therefore we are confident that we will be able to put forward a balanced budget for 2026/27.

Delivering the savings set out in this consultation will enable us to protect the frontline services people rely on while continuing to deliver on key priorities such as tackling poverty, helping residents through the cost-of-living crisis, and supporting the most vulnerable members of our community.

Your feedback on our savings options will help shape what happens next.

Councillors discussed our 4-year financial plan at a full Council meeting on 26 February 2025. They also approved the budget and council tax for 2025/26 (agenda item 11). It included a breakdown of how the budget will be distributed across services. Indicative plans for 2026/27 - 2028/29 are now reviewed in line with the Council Plan.

On 15 October 2025, Cabinet received an update to budget plans for 2026/27 to 2029/30 (agenda item 10). 

Cabinet will recommend the final 2026/27 budget and future year’s plans on 11 February 2026 for approval by Council on 26 February 2026.