This year’s budget acknowledges the local needs across East Ayrshire and aims to address some of the challenges arising from a shift in local demographics and to help tackle poverty and inequality in local communities.

Summary of agreed future investments for 2025/26 

• £4.5m to support an extension of the successful Jobs and Training initiative over the next three years, to include summer placements for 16-18 pupils still in education
• £1m to support the Anti-poverty and Inequalities Strategy, with a particular emphasis on affordable and accessible food provision
• Free school meals for all primary school children, including P6 and P7 and half price meals for secondary schools over the next two years (£949k pa)
• £800k roads and pavements improvements
• £700k to address concerns over community safety and enforcement arrangements as part of wider civic pride improvements, to include littering, fly tipping graffiti, dog fouling and parking
• £600k to support speech, language and communications interventions to help children meet their developmental milestones
• £25 increase in pre-schools clothing grant (£75 per child) for 3 and 4-year-olds from low-income households who attend Early Learning and Childcare Centres (totalling £60k)
• £1.250m to support the creation of a new wellbeing partnership with Centrestage over the next five years
• £200k to support local active town centre businesses over the next two years
• £70K to assist with replacement for play equipment in Shortlees, which was destroyed recently by fire
• £30k to fund a feasibility and deliverability study for Woodroad Park in Cumnock
• £30k to fund an evaluation of the provision of municipal transport for communities impacted by connectivity issues 

Summary of key budget decisions for 2025/26

• 8% rise in council tax, bringing Band D Council Tax level for 2025/26 to £1606.44
• 3% rise in most other council fees and charges

In considering the budget for the year ahead, elected members were asked to take cognisance of several new external influences, which have had a significant bearing on this year’s budget setting process.

These include the impact of Employers’ National Insurance, which is estimated to directly cost the council an additional £2.750m for the coming year the year for its own workforce and considerably more than this in respect of services commissioned such as social care; and the risks associated with maintaining teacher numbers when school roll projections are expected to fall by 7%.

The budget consultation ran from 5 December 2024 until 7 February 2025. Residents, employees, and other stakeholders were invited to share their views on the council’s strategic priorities, where the council should prioritise spend; and what the council could invest in today to make savings tomorrow.

An online survey was available and targeted in-person sessions were held with communities, trade unions, East Ayrshire Children and Young People’s Cabinet, the Equalities Forum, the business community and employees.