Ashington Town Council's 2025-26 Budget Prioritises Youth Investment and Long-Term Asset Management with Minimal Impact on Residents

Introduction
Ashington Town Council's 2025/26 budget represents a strategic response to the complex financial challenges facing local government. As we approach a significant electoral year in 2025, our financial planning demonstrates foresight, resilience, and a commitment to sustainable community development.
Ashington Town Council's 2025/26 budget demonstrates our commitment to financial prudence, staff development, and sustainable community investment. Key highlights include:
- Staff Investment and Efficiency
- Climate and Sustainability Focus
- Community Groups and Youth Support
- Long-Term Financial Planning
Our approach prevents future financial surprises and supports responsible, forward-thinking management. We are delivering significant community impact while keeping the financial burden on residents minimal, with an annual increase of just £2.25 for Band A properties, which is 67% of the properties in Ashington.
Staff Investment and Development
Our commitment to our team is evident in our Management & Support budget. While staff costs have increased, we're strategically investing in our workforce. We've expanded our training budget to develop internal skills, with the aim of reducing reliance on external support. Although staff numbers are temporarily reduced, we’ve maintained the money available to allow us to carefully plan future staffing needs to align with the Council's priorities after May.
We're modernising all areas of management and support by investing in:
- Enhanced staff training and skill development
- Updated technology
- Increased automation
- Improved access to work vehicles
This approach allows us to deliver more effective and efficient services while supporting our team's growth, ensuring they have the skills and tools to drive innovative, environmentally conscious projects and services.
Climate and Sustainability Commitment
In a significant strategic shift, we've redirected funds previously allocated to Environmental Enhancements directly into our existing Climate Change budget. This deliberate move ensures that sustainability and environmental impact are the primary considerations in every project we undertake. This shift means sustainability isn't just a consideration—it's our first principle. Every project will prioritise environmental impact. We're looking forward to welcoming members from local environmental groups to our Climate Change Committee, bringing fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.
Community Groups and Youth Support
Maintaining our commitment to community well-being is important to the Council. We deeply appreciate the incredible work of our community groups and organisations. While our grant funding has slightly reduced by £5,000, we are not stepping back from our commitment.
A key focus of our community support is our young people. Following the establishment of our Youth Advisory Committee last year, we're actively investing in Ashington's youth. This committee is seeking to engage directly with young residents, understanding their needs and aspirations. We continue to support vital youth initiatives, including:
- Free school holiday activities
- Partnerships with youth-focused organisations
- Meaningful youth engagement and development opportunities
We are actively exploring our funding processes, investigating alternative support strategies, and seeking new ways to sustain community initiatives.
We recognise that support extends beyond direct financial grants, and that financial constraints require innovative approaches. While specific strategies are still under development, we are committed to exploring:
- Collaborative partnership models
- Shared resource initiatives
- Networking and skill-sharing opportunities
These approaches aim to provide meaningful support beyond direct financial grants, ensuring our voluntary and community sector—with a particular emphasis on supporting and empowering our young people—remains vibrant and effective.
Recreation and Leisure
Our Recreation and Leisure budget maintains consistent funding for our events, allotments, and play areas. Our much-loved Christmas lights display sees an increase in investment. As our previous lighting contract concludes, we're seeking a new contract that brings fresh, innovative lighting features to Ashington. Building on three years of positive community feedback, residents can look forward to more spectacular festive illumination that will bring new excitement to our winter celebrations.
The Town Council remains committed to delivering a diverse and inclusive programme of events throughout the year, fostering community spirit, and providing enriching activities for residents of all ages. The Youth Budget includes school holiday activity programmes across all half terms, featuring free swimming sessions to promote health and wellbeing. Our seasonal trails - Easter, Halloween Trick or Treat, and Christmas - continue to engage families while supporting local businesses. Environmental initiatives remain a priority, with the Great British Spring Clean Campaign and year-round support for community litter picking groups. New to our calendar is an innovative ECO Fair, showcasing local climate change projects and bringing together schools, businesses, and community groups.
Other Services: Community Safety and Democratic Engagement
Our budget for other services reflects both our commitment to community safety and careful financial planning. Following our significant investment in CCTV provision in the previous year, we continue to support this critical service. The CCTV contract remains closely monitored and is celebrated by services for its effectiveness in crime detection and prevention.
Our portfolio of community safety services includes:
- CCTV provision
- Interactive cameras
- Defibrillators
Our budget for ‘other services’ shows a significant increase in anticipation of 2025 election costs. However, we strategically prepared for this by setting money aside annually. This approach minimises the financial impact on the Council's overall budget and, consequently, on Ashington residents' precept.
Financial Prudence and Long-Term Planning
Rather than using our year-end balances to offset the precept for operational spending, we're taking a forward-looking approach. Our year-end balances will bolster reserves for:
- Play area developments
- Capital allotment priorities
- Memorials we maintain
- Future election costs (2029)
This strategy mitigates unexpected financial challenges in the future and demonstrates our commitment to responsible, long-term asset management.
Community Impact
Despite our comprehensive investments, we've minimised the financial impact on Ashington residents:
- Band A properties will see a £2.25 annual increase
- Band D properties will see a £3.39 annual increase
Our budget reflects a balanced approach: investing in our team, prioritising sustainability, maintaining services, and planning for the future while protecting residents from significant financial burden.
With a precept charge of just £1.49 per week for Band A properties—an annual increase of only £2.25—the Council has ensured that these vital investments and our services remain affordable for residents. The Councils long-term financial planning and focus on maintaining assets, ensures we’re not just addressing immediate needs but also safeguarding the future. It’s an exciting time for Ashington, and this budget lays the foundation for continued growth and resilience.
Looking Ahead
Our budget reflects more than just financial figures—it's a testament to our vision for Ashington. By investing in our team, prioritising sustainability, and planning strategically, we're building a stronger, more resilient community. We're not just managing a budget; we're investing in our town's future, ensuring that Ashington continues to be a vibrant, forward-thinking place to live, work, and thrive.
Chair of Ashington Town Council, Cllr Mark Purvis said, "This budget is all about striking the right balance—investing in our young people, supporting the community, and looking after our staff and assets so we can deliver better services. We’ve worked hard to prioritise sustainability and find efficiencies, ensuring every penny counts. By planning ahead and keeping the increase manageable as costs continue to rise, we’re building a brighter, greener future for Ashington, where everyone can thrive."