Brentwood budget survey: have your say by 8 September

Brentwood Borough Council is asking residents and businesses what it should spend more, less or the same on before it sets next year’s budget, and the window to answer is open now. The Council Priorities and Budget Survey runs until Tuesday 8 September 2026, and the responses will feed directly into the budget and council tax the council sets for 2027/28. (Brentwood Borough Council, 11 August 2026)

The questions are concrete rather than abstract. The survey asks whether the council should spend more, less or the same on community safety and enforcement, whether cleaner and greener initiatives matter to you, and whether you agree the borough should build more affordable homes and invest in homes in the private rental market. It also asks for views on how the council might raise more money and the level at which it should set its share of council tax next year. (Consultation page, engagewithus.co.uk)

The money behind the questions

The consultation sets out what the council actually has to work with this year, and the sums are smaller than many residents assume. In 2026/27 Brentwood Borough Council’s services are funded by £7,740,230 of council tax, £1,079,090 of retained business rates and £3,091,000 of other grants, a total of £11,910,320. The council says it faces financial pressures across many services, driven by continued uncertainty over government funding and the cost of living. (Priorities and Budget Consultation 2027/28)

The council tax figures explain why the borough’s share of your bill is the part it wants views on. An average Band D household pays £2,233.28 in council tax in 2026/27, but only £223.49 of that goes to Brentwood Borough Council. Essex County Council takes £1,641.96 including the social care levy, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner £275.31, and Essex Fire Authority £92.52.

Councillor David Kendall, chair of the council’s Finance and Future Development Committee, said: “In setting our budget, we must balance our income with our spending by either increasing income or reducing our spending. And this is what we want your views on. Local Government Reorganisation may be on the horizon but we still need to make decisions on the council’s finances and deliver services.” He added: “Just 10% of the Council Tax you pay every year comes to Brentwood Borough Council, so to help us make the right decisions, we want to make sure that the priorities of the Council, align with those of our residents.” (Brentwood Borough Council)

How to take part

The survey is online at www.brentwood.gov.uk/budgetsurvey, which redirects to the council’s consultation portal. If you do not have internet access, paper copies are available at the Town Hall reception on Ingrave Road (CM15 8AY), or you can email cgr@brentwood.gov.uk to be sent one in the post. The council’s customer services team can help on 01277 312500, and QR codes on council noticeboards link straight to the survey on a phone. (Consultation page, engagewithus.co.uk)

One boundary worth knowing before you fill it in: the survey covers the borough council’s own services only. Roads, pavements, streetlights and drainage belong to Essex County Council, so feedback on those goes through Essex Highways’ Tell Us page rather than this survey.

What it means for you

This is the one point in the year when the council formally asks whether its spending matches your priorities, before the numbers are locked in rather than after. The affordable housing question also connects to the borough’s bigger planning picture; our Brentwood planning news page covers the Local Plan Review and the housing numbers behind it. Responses close at the end of Tuesday 8 September, and councillors will use them as they set the budget and council tax for 2027/28. We will report the outcome when the budget is set.