Stirling Council Budget 2026-27 

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Stirling Council Budget 2026-2027

A few weeks ago Stirling Council published its 2026-27 draft revenue and capital budgets that include proposals for investing in services and for addressing an estimated budget gap of £10.7 million.  

Stirling Council is legally obliged to set a balanced budget so this gap needs to be closed by finding savings in Council run services. Stirling Council, like many other councils in Scotland, is facing ongoing and unprecedented financial pressures.

The main reason for this is that the funding and income the Council receives from The Scottish and UK Governments no longer meets rising costs to deliver the services that people in our communities rely on every day, from educating children and young people, to maintaining a vast road network or collecting and recycling waste.

The decisions on the budget were informed by a ‘Big Conversation’ with residents and communities where more than 4,300 people of all ages had their say on the detailed savings proposals and other areas of the budget in two surveys. You can read the feedback from the consultation here.

Stirling Council Administration

On 10th November 2025, SNP&Green councilors joined forces to form a new administration. I voted with them and gave my reasons at the time. Since then, all of my requests for committee representation has been met.

Today’s Budget Meeting: Council Tax Rise

To close the budget gap and to fund the SNP/Green priorities, the administration have tabled a motion, which if approved, will see an increase in the Council Tax of 8.75%.

I am well aware that this is a huge increase but to find the levels of savings needed to close the financial gap the Council would need to basically shut down some key services.

Going back to the priorities I requested in November, I am very pleased to announce that today’s budget, if approved, contains funding for the following projects:

  • £100,000 for Eastern Villages New Bus Service. This funding will deliver, by the summer, a Council run bus service between Fallin, Cowie and Plean)
  • Fallin Community Garden Minewater Thermal Energy Scheme (£50,000)
  • Development Worker to help community groups to identify grant funding (£40,000)
  • Hogmanany Event (share of £200,000)
  • Cowie Miners Welfare (the demolition and reuse of this site is being funded from existing budgets)

I would like to have achieved everything that was on my list from November – but I am confident I can achieve these from within existing budgets.

The SNP’s financial spokesperson has given me an assurance that while the could have reduced the rise in Council Tax, they wanted extra funding to reverse the drastic cuts imposed by the previous Labour and Tory coalition. Here is what the SNP have pledged do if today’s budget is approved:

  • Money be allocated to cleaning the streets.
  • More cuts to the grass, money allocated to maintain paths. Deep Cleans being re introduced for all areas.
  • A major initiative for tidying up the City Centre.
  • Greater maintenance of public buildings.
  • NO cuts in services .
  • Increase of over 60% in maintaining the roads , up from £5m per year to £8m per year for the next two years .
  • An increase reserves and a dramatic reduction to the long term budget gap from over £50m to around £37m.
  • No cuts to youth services , nuseries , music tuition and libraries .
  • A small but vital change in council charges , rat and mice infestation treated at no charge.
  • We have listen to all the feedback from the formal consultation with constituents regarding the budget .

In conclusion, I am well aware that an 8.75% increase in Council Tax is massive, but to close that gap would mean no new investment and closure of key Council Services.