Financial information
This sets out the budget estimates of income and expenditure for various council services for 2026 to 2027.
Read Gateshead Council Financial Information 2026 to 2027 (PDF, 177 KB) as a PDF.
Council Tax
2026 to 2027 Council Tax valuation bands
Accounting and other financial information
The council's budget estimates for 2026/27 are shown in Table 1 and have been prepared in accordance with the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) framework and following consideration of the outcome of the budget consultation. Comparative figures for 2025/26 are also shown. Further information is included in the council's budget report for 2026/27.
Table 1: Gateshead Council
| Service | 2025/26 Gross expenditure | 2025/26 Gross income | 2025/26 Net expenditure | 2026/27 Gross expenditure | 2026/27 Gross income | 2026/27 Net expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools | 80,023 | (80,023) | 0 | 82,468 | (82,468) | 0 |
| Integrated Adults' and Social Care Services | 143,794 | (43,743) | 100,051 | 157,532 | (53,123) | 104,409 |
| Audit Social Care | 9,539 | (224) | 9,315 | 10,343 | (1,146) | 9,197 |
| Quality Assurance and Commissioning | 76,468 | (20,834) | 55,634 | 67,253 | (7,103) | 60,150 |
| Children's Social Care and Lifelong Learning | 74,542 | (65,246) | 9,296 | 75,069 | (68,348) | 6,721 |
| Children's Social Care | 30,738 | (4,948) | 25,790 | 28,987 | (559) | 28,428 |
| Chief Executive's Department | 1,860 | (154) | 1,706 | 2,017 | (5) | 2,012 |
| Legal and Democratic Services | 5,999 | (770) | 5,229 | 6,110 | (793) | 5,317 |
| People Services | 3,646 | (318) | 3,328 | 3,819 | (349) | 3,470 |
| Housing, Environment and Healthy Communities | 378 | (38) | 340 | 330 | (38) | 292 |
| Construction - Building Maintenance, Technical and Cyclical | 12,889 | (7,431) | 5,458 | 13,204 | (7,536) | 5,668 |
| Strategy Services and Residential Growth | 4,699 | (1,094) | 3,605 | 6,809 | (2,202) | 4,607 |
| Locality Services and Housing | 5,303 | (4,047) | 1,256 | 5,275 | (3,525) | 1,750 |
| Highways and Waste | 35,387 | (16,376) | 19,011 | 33,345 | (16,972) | 16,373 |
| Environment and Fleet Management | 8,261 | (2,173) | 6,088 | 10,884 | (2,990) | 7,894 |
| School Meals and Catering Services | 7,358 | (6,156) | 1,202 | 7,819 | (6,445) | 1,374 |
| Economy, Innovation and Growth | 4,307 | (3,407) | 900 | 4,350 | (3,660) | 690 |
| Business, Employment and Skills | 7,615 | (3,131) | 4,484 | 7,744 | (3,085) | 4,659 |
| Planning, Policy, Climate Change and Strategic Transport | 1,662 | (2,034) | (372) | 1,748 | (2,074) | (326) |
| Major Projects | 1,720 | (94) | 1,626 | 2,289 | (206) | 2,083 |
| Resources and Digital | 7,548 | (2,352) | 5,196 | 7,319 | (2,271) | 5,048 |
| Financial Management | 7,568 | (2,099) | 5,469 | 10,321 | (1,780) | 8,541 |
| Customer Experience and Digital | 49,085 | (48,885) | 200 | 49,083 | (48,359) | 724 |
| Housing Benefits | 6,999 | (1,842) | 5,157 | 7,849 | (1,367) | 6,482 |
| IT | 5,746 | (479) | 5,267 | 5,560 | (504) | 5,056 |
| Other services | 9,745 | 0 | 9,745 | 9,141 | 0 | 9,141 |
| Contingencies | 2,000 | 0 | 2,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Capacity Fund | 37,043 | 0 | 37,043 | 41,041 | 0 | 41,041 |
| Investment and trading income | 0 | (6,130) | (6,130) | 0 | (4,988) | (4,988) |
| Interest charges passed outside general fund | 0 | (1,855) | (1,855) | 0 | (2,873) | (2,873) |
| Levies | 12,729 | 0 | 12,729 | 13,065 | 0 | 13,065 |
| Budget requirement | 654,651 | (325,883) | 328,768 | 670,774 | (324,769) | 346,005 |
| Less | 2025/26 (£000) | 2026/27 (£000) |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Funding Assessment (FFA) | (88,546) | (137,990) |
| Other grants | (86,324) | (50,207) |
| Public health | (19,462) | (22,507) |
| Collection fund (Surplus)/Deficit | (701) | 1,654 |
| Earmarked reserves | (10,918) | (4,921) |
| Council Tax Requirement | 124,219 | 132,034 |
| Band "D" equivalent | £2,282.22 | £2,396.07 |
| Reason for change in Council Tax requirement | Amount (£000) |
|---|---|
| Service pressures, inflation and other budget adjustments | 17,237 |
| Decrease in collection fund deficit | 953 |
| Increase in grant and other income | (16,372) |
| Decrease in use of earmarked reserves | 3,997 |
| Total change | 7,815 |
Table 2: Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority was established under Section 26 of the Local Government Act 1985, and comprises members from each of the five districts of Tyne and Wear County.
| Service | 2025 to 2026 Gross expenditure (£000) | 2025 to 2026 Gross income (£000) | 2025 to 2026 Net expenditure (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Gross expenditure (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Gross income (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Net expenditure (£000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Service | 71,299 | (6,125) | 65,174 | 76,469 | (9,670) | 66,799 |
| Contingency provision | 1,895 | 1,895 | 2,440 | 2,440 | ||
| Interest on balances | (1,087) | (1,087) | (980) | (980) | ||
| Budget requirement (£60.53 / £63.10 per head) | 73,194 | (7,212) | 65,982 | 78,909 | (10,650) | 68,259 |
| LESS | ||||||
| Revenue Support Grant | (12,866) | (12,866) | (19,936) | (19,936) | ||
| Top Up Grant | (13,704) | (13,704) | (8,299) | (8,299) | ||
| Business Rate Local Share | (3,918) | (3,918) | (5,102) | (5,102) | ||
| Business Rates Under‑Indexation Grant | (3,359) | (3,359) | ||||
| Fire and Rescue real-terms floor | (1,987) | (1,987) | ||||
| Council Tax Collection Fund Net Surplus / (Deficit) | (477) | (477) | (257) | (257) | ||
| Business Rates Collection Fund Net Surplus / (Deficit) | (61) | (61) | 70 | 70 | ||
| National Insurance Grant | (468) | (468) | ||||
| Section 31 Business Rates Grant | (472) | (472) | ||||
| Council Tax Requirement (£29.04 / £30.40 per head) | 73,194 | (42,537) | 30,657 | 78,979 | (46,231) | 32,748 |
| 2025 to 2026 | 2026 to 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Charge on Gateshead | £5.43m | £5.79m |
| Band "D" equivalent | £100.11 | £105.11 |
| Manpower (Estimated full‑time equivalent) | 891 | 881 |
| Reason for change in Council Tax requirement | Amount (£000) |
|---|---|
| Net cost pressures | 1,300 |
| Reduction in net government funding | 571 |
| Decrease in collection fund net surplus | 220 |
| Increase in Council Tax requirement | 2,091 |
Table 3: Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria
The Chief Constable and I are wholly committed to delivering safer streets and stronger communities across the force area, but without the appropriate funding, we face significant financial pressures even with Government's much welcome cash boost for neighbourhood policing. Raising additional funding through a slight increase in the Council Tax Precept will allow Northumbria Police to remain resilient and invest in improvements that matter most to the people of Northumberland, Tyne, and Wear.
To address the challenges facing Northumbria Police I have approved an increase of 36p per week for a Band D property. For the majority of households in Northumbria, those in a Band A property, the increase is 24p per week. The increase in the precept will provide over £7.9m in extra funds for Northumbria Police to help tackle ASB, invest in new technologies and proactively safeguard women and girls.
The Band D Council Tax precept for Northumbria will increase from £195.84 to £214.34 for the year. This remains, by far, the lowest precept of any Police and Crime Commissioner in England and Wales. You can find more information on the OPCC website.
| Service | 2025 to 2026 Gross expenditure (£000) | 2025 to 2026 Gross income (£000) | 2025 to 2026 Net expenditure (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Gross expenditure (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Gross income (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Net expenditure (£000) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service | Northumbria Police | 453,439 | (52,797) | 400,642 | 476,369 | (44,667) | 431,702 |
| Total | Budget requirement | 400,642 | 431,702 | ||||
| LESS | Home Office Core Grant | 292,424 | 314,681 | ||||
| LESS | Special Pension Grant | 10,345 | 10,345 | ||||
| LESS | Council Tax Support Grant | 6,867 | 6,867 | ||||
| LESS | Legacy Council Tax Grants | 1,301 | 1,301 | ||||
| LESS | National Insurance Compensation Grant | 5,736 | 5,769 | ||||
| LESS | Constituent Authorities' Net Surplus / (Deficit) | 1,084 | 541 | ||||
| Total | Council Tax requirement | 82,885 | 92,198 | ||||
| Charge on Gateshead (£m) | £10.659m | £11.811m | |||||
| Band "D" Equivalent Charge (£) | £195.84 | £214.34 |
| Change in Council Tax requirement between years is attributable to: | Amount (£000) |
|---|---|
| Pay awards, inflation, recruitment, budget pressures and other budget adjustments | 23,449 |
| Budget reductions and efficiencies | (2,514) |
| Increase in Home Office Formula Grant | (22,257) |
| Net decrease in Workforce Grants | 11,419 |
| Decrease in Council Tax Net Surplus | 543 |
| Increase in planned use of reserves | (1,327) |
| Total change in Council Tax requirement | 9,313 |
Table 4: Lamesley Parish Council
| Service | 2025 to 2026 Gross expenditure (£000) | 2025 to 2026 Gross income (£000) | 2025 to 2026 Net expenditure (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Gross expenditure (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Gross income (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Net expenditure (£000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Services | 15.5 | 15.5 | 15.8 | 15.8 | ||
| Band "D" equivalent | £12.86 | £12.86 |
Reason for change in Council Tax requirement
| Service pressures and inflation | £0.2 |
Table 5: North East Combined Authority
On 2 November 2018, the boundaries of NECA were changed by the Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority (Establishment and Functions) Order 2018. As a result of these governance changes the boundaries of NECA now cover the local authorities of Durham, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland. NECA and the Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority will work together on a number of areas to support the region, including transport. The North East Joint Transport Committee (JTC) has been established to exercise the functions of the two transport authorities, including the setting of levies and budgets for transport activity.
| 2025 to 2026 JTC Transport Budget £000 | 2026 to 2027 JTC Transport Budget £000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross transport expenditure | ||
| Tyne Tunnel | 42,792 | 45,807 |
| Transport co-ordination and former ITA | 7,043 | 5,014 |
| Nexus (grant from JTC* and external grants - net of commercial income) | 127,379 | 124,449 |
| Durham (grant from JTC*) | 16,927 | 16,228 |
| Northumberland (grant from JTC*) | 6,738 | 6,818 |
| Total gross expenditure | 200,879 | 198,316 |
| Income | ||
| Tyne Tunnels | (42,792) | (45,807) |
| Net transport expenditure | 158,087 | 152,509 |
| Reserves | ||
| Contribution from Tyne Tunnel Reserves | 0 | 0 |
| Contribution from Tyne and Wear Transport Reserves | 0 | 0 |
| Contribution from Nexus Reserves | (10,917) | 4,800 |
| Expenditure Requirement | 147,170 | 147,709 |
| Funded by | ||
| Tyne and Wear Transport Levy | (72,409) | (74,581) |
| Durham Transport Levy | (16,937) | (16,238) |
| Northumberland Transport Levy | (6,748) | (6,828) |
| Rail grants and miscellaneous grants | (51,076) | (50,062) |
| Funding agreed by authority | (128,056) | (147,170) |
* The JTC agrees an annual grant to the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Executive (Nexus), Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council in respect of revenue support and concessionary travel.
| Comparison with previous NECA transport budget | £000 |
|---|---|
| Inflation and other cost pressures | (2,563) |
| Increased income | (3,015) |
| Movement on contribution from reserves | 6,117 |
| Net change | 539 |
Note: Tyne Tunnels expenditure requirement is met fully from tunnel reserves and toll income, with no levy funding.
Table 6: Environment Agency
| Service | 2025 to 2026 Gross expenditure (£000) | 2025 to 2026 Gross income (£000) | 2025 to 2026 Net expenditure (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Gross expenditure (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Gross income (£000) | 2026 to 2027 Net expenditure (£000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant aided | 19,595 | 19,595 | 24,235 | 24,235 | ||
| Non grant aided | 3,021 | 3,021 | 5,949 | 5,949 | ||
| Maintenance works | 11,079 | 11,079 | 2,260 | 2,260 | ||
| Government grant in aid | (30,393) | (30,393) | (26,214) | (26,214) | ||
| Total | 33,695 | (30,393) | 3,302 | 32,444 | (26,214) | 6,230 |
| Movement in balances | (469) | (3,284) | ||||
| Council Tax requirement | 2,833 | 2,946 | ||||
| Charge on Gateshead | £0.196m | £0.203m | ||||
Reason for change in Council Tax requirement
Change in service level. Net expenditure £113.