Priority 4: Financial sustainability
A Council managing its money well, with collection rates to improve
Against a difficult national backdrop for local government, Coventry delivered a £3.2 million underspend this year – better than last year's position – and a balanced budget for 2026 to 2027, with a projected surplus for the 2 years after that. Savings delivery improved to 84%, up from 73%.
The workforce is becoming more representative of the city, with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic representation up to 26.1% and disability disclosure up to 8.6%. Agency staff spend fell by almost £2.7 million. Business rates and council tax collection rates, however, remain below target and are a continued area of focus.
Key figures
|
Indicator |
This year vs last year |
Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Budget position |
£1.8m → £3.2m underspend |
On target |
|
Savings delivered |
73% → 84% |
On target |
|
Council tax collection rate |
93.4%, target 94% |
Off target |
|
Agency staff spend |
-£2.7m |
On target |
In plain terms: the council's finances are on a sound footing and its workforce is becoming more representative of the city – collecting the money it's owed is the main thing still to fix.
Full detail (all indicators for this priority, with regional comparisons) is in the full One Coventry Plan annual performance report (April 2025 to March 2026) report.