Budget 2026-27: A citywide conversation

Join the conversation: shaping Norwich’s 2026–2027 budget

We’re inviting everyone who lives, works or spends time in Norwich to take part in this year’s Budget Conversation.

Each year, Norwich City Council sets a budget to fund the services and projects that make a difference to people’s lives. This year, we’re taking a new approach - introducing a real-time live budget that will be reviewed throughout the year to make sure we’re spending every pound wisely and where it’s needed most.

Our focus is on delivering a balanced and stable budget that protects the services residents value, invests in our We Are Norwich priorities, and prepares the council for the future Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). This is set out in our new Financial Strategy 2026-2027.

Our priorities

The budget supports the We Are Norwich plan and its five priorities:

  • A prosperous city – supporting jobs, skills and growth
  • A fairer city – tackling inequality and protecting the most vulnerable
  • A climate-responsive city – reducing emissions and protecting nature
  • A future-proof city – investing in housing, places and infrastructure
  • An open and modern council – delivering quality, value and transparency

Working in uncertain times

We know our current spending and reserves, but many things remain uncertain - including:

Our new approach lets us adjust the budget as these factors become clearer, keeping Norwich financially stable.

The consultation will be open from Thursday 4 December 2025 until Sunday 18 January 2026.

Join the conversation: shaping Norwich’s 2026–2027 budget

We’re inviting everyone who lives, works or spends time in Norwich to take part in this year’s Budget Conversation.

Each year, Norwich City Council sets a budget to fund the services and projects that make a difference to people’s lives. This year, we’re taking a new approach - introducing a real-time live budget that will be reviewed throughout the year to make sure we’re spending every pound wisely and where it’s needed most.

Our focus is on delivering a balanced and stable budget that protects the services residents value, invests in our We Are Norwich priorities, and prepares the council for the future Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). This is set out in our new Financial Strategy 2026-2027.

Our priorities

The budget supports the We Are Norwich plan and its five priorities:

  • A prosperous city – supporting jobs, skills and growth
  • A fairer city – tackling inequality and protecting the most vulnerable
  • A climate-responsive city – reducing emissions and protecting nature
  • A future-proof city – investing in housing, places and infrastructure
  • An open and modern council – delivering quality, value and transparency

Working in uncertain times

We know our current spending and reserves, but many things remain uncertain - including:

Our new approach lets us adjust the budget as these factors become clearer, keeping Norwich financially stable.

The consultation will be open from Thursday 4 December 2025 until Sunday 18 January 2026.

  • Project updates

    Thank you for your participation in the budget consultation.

    We appreciate you taking the time to participate in our recent budget consultation. Your feedback is vital in helping us make informed decisions about how to allocate resources and deliver essential services to our community.

    Key findings

    Click here to download the full feedback report.

    Key findings

    • People love Norwich with 62% reporting that they were happy or very happy with Norwich as a place to live, work or visit.

    • 49% of people agreed or strongly agreed with our proposed real-time approach to the budget.

    • People told us the council’s top three priorities should be streets and public spaces, housing and neighbourhoods, council efficiency and value for money.

    • 25% of those who responded agreed or strongly agreed with reallocating some resources to support the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) transition. 46% had no view and 28% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

    • Nearly half of respondents were in favour of the council continuing to offer up to 100% Council Tax Reduction to those on low incomes who qualify for the scheme.

    • 28% of respondents supported or strongly supported the council’s proposal to increase its share of council tax by 2.99%.

    Thank you for your participation in the budget consultation.

    We appreciate you taking the time to participate in our recent budget consultation. Your feedback is vital in helping us make informed decisions about how to allocate resources and deliver essential services to our community.

    Key findings

    Click here to download the full feedback report.

    Key findings

    • People love Norwich with 62% reporting that they were happy or very happy with Norwich as a place to live, work or visit.

    • 49% of people agreed or strongly agreed with our proposed real-time approach to the budget.

    • People told us the council’s top three priorities should be streets and public spaces, housing and neighbourhoods, council efficiency and value for money.

    • 25% of those who responded agreed or strongly agreed with reallocating some resources to support the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) transition. 46% had no view and 28% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

    • Nearly half of respondents were in favour of the council continuing to offer up to 100% Council Tax Reduction to those on low incomes who qualify for the scheme.

    • 28% of respondents supported or strongly supported the council’s proposal to increase its share of council tax by 2.99%.

Page last updated: 04 Feb 2026, 12:02 PM