What is being proposed?
Dundee City Council has a legal requirement to set a balanced budget. The detail of the Council’s funding for 2025/26 is not known at the time of launching this consultation. However, it is predicted that further savings of over £15million could be needed next year – equivalent to a 29% increase in Council Tax.
It is emphasised the above deficit is only an estimate at this time. The Council will have a clearer indication of any gap in December when next year’s funding settlement is known and details of this will be made public in January in a report to elected members that sets out the implications of the settlement on the Council’s 2025/26 Budget.
In the meantime, as this potential funding gap for 2025/26 can’t realistically be bridged through Council Tax alone, a range of measures are being explored including reducing, changing or even stopping some services, and/or increasing fees and charges.
Specific options to make savings have been put forward by Council Officers. No decisions have been taken, and before the Budget is set by elected members, the Council wants to hear from the public.
What is being consulted on?
The Consultation invites feedback on citizens’ spending priorities for the Council, and on the level of Council Tax for 2025/26.
For the first time, it also gives people the opportunity to provide individual feedback on the specific savings options put forward by Council Officers. Participants can respond to as few or as many of these options as they wish.
Further information about each of the savings options, the rationale behind them and any relevant mitigations can be found in the Consultation survey.
What are the potential savings options being considered?
Council Officers have proposed a number of options to make savings, including changes to existing services, fee increases, and the potential reduction or cessation of certain services. The consultation will provide you with more details about each of these options so that you can provide informed feedback.
Why do we need to make these savings?
The Council has a responsibility to deliver vital public services, but costs are rising, and the funding we receive is not enough to meet the growing demand for these services. We need to balance the budget by making difficult decisions about where to spend money and where savings can be made.
Who is being consulted?
It is essential that the Council understands the impact the savings options would have on service users and the wider community.
This is particularly the case for those who have characteristics protected by law: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
However, it is important to stress that all members of the public are encouraged to have their say in the consultation.
Organisations affected by specific options, and other stakeholders, are also being invited to participate.
How long does the consultation last for?
The consultation will run from Friday, November 29 to Sunday, December 29.
How can I take part in the consultation?
The survey can be completed online. Free internet access is available in all libraries, with IT support from staff.
Paper copies of the questionnaires will be available from libraries and community centres. Alternatively, anyone requiring assistance filling out the survey can contact the Council’s customer services on 434000.
How will the consultation be promoted?
The consultation will be promoted through press releases, printed information posters, word of mouth, and the Dundee City Council website.
Social media platforms will also be used to ensure as many people as possible are reached. This increases inclusion for those who prefer to get their information from legitimate platforms on social media.
How will you ensure the consultation is accessible to all?
Questions have been asked using appropriate language and will be offered digitally via the Council’s Consultation Hub. Paper copies will be made available.
The website offers accessibility options which support users with conditions like visual impairments and dyslexia. The site also offers features to translate information into many different languages.
Alternative formats will be offered where requested and provision made to ensure that face-to-face communications are accessible and inclusive.
How will the consultation responses be analysed?
Dundee City Council will analyse and review responses.
We will identify staff resources to support and respond to any queries arising as part of the process. Responses that are derogatory, demeaning and/or disparaging will not be considered.
How will I be able to find out the results of the consultation?
Following the analysis, the findings of the consultation will be part of a report to elected members ahead of the Budget being set for 2025/26. This document will be published on the Council website.
I am interested in discussing alternative provision/funding in relation to an option put forward. How do I take this forward?
Please email budgetconsultation@dundeecity.gov.uk
What are Protected Characteristic Groups?
We will gather information to allow us to assess the positive or negative impacts of any final decision, particularly on those with protected characteristics. The nine protected characteristics as set out in the Equality Act 2010 are detailed below:
- Age
People can be unfairly treated based on assumptions and stereotypes related to their age. Both younger and older people can share similar issues such as unemployment, reduced or low income, not being listened to and not being valued.
- Disability
Disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Disability includes mobility, dexterity, hearing, speech or vision impairments along with "hidden" conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, dyslexia, mental health problems and mental illness. Cancer, HIV infection and Multiple Sclerosis are deemed disabilities under the Act from the time of diagnosis.
- Gender Re-assignment
Gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes, denoted by terms such as ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ and can be different from biological sex. The term ‘gender reassignment’ applies to the process of transitioning from one gender to another. The term used in the Equality Act to describe people who intend to transition, are transitioning or have transitioned is ‘transsexual’.
- Marriage and Civil Partnership
Service providers cannot treat customers less favourably, or refuse to provide them with services, on the basis that they are married to a person of the same sex or in a civil partnership, as opposed to being married to a person of the opposite sex.
- Pregnancy and Maternity
It is unlawful to subject a woman to unfavourable treatment during the ‘protected period' defined by the Act. Protection from discrimination starts when a woman becomes pregnant.
- Race/Ethnicity
The Equality Act says you must not be discriminated against because of your race. Race can mean your colour or your nationality (including your citizenship). It can also mean your ethnic or national origins, which may not be the same as your current nationality. Race also covers ethnic and racial groups.
- Religion or Belief
The meaning of religion or belief in the Equality Act is broad and is consistent with Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Religion means any religion and includes a lack of religion. A religion need not be mainstream or well known to gain protection. However, it must have a clear structure and belief system.
Belief means any religious or philosophical belief (including, for example, Humanism and Atheism) and includes a lack of belief. To be protected under the Equality Act, a philosophical belief must:
- Be genuinely held.
- Be a belief and not an opinion or viewpoint, based on the present state of information available.
- Be a belief as to a weighty and substantial aspect of human life and behaviour.
- Attain a certain level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance.
- Be worthy of respect in a democratic society, compatible with human dignity and not conflict with the fundamental rights of others
- Sex
A person's sex refers to whether they are biologically male or female. In relation to a group of people it refers to either men and /or boys, or women and / or girls. A comparator for the purposes of unlawful sex discrimination will be a person of the opposite sex.
- Sexual Orientation
The Equality Act says you must not be discriminated against because:
- You are heterosexual, gay, lesbian or bisexual.
- Someone thinks you have a particular sexual orientation - discrimination by perception.
- You are connected to someone who has a particular sexual orientation - discrimination by association.
Sexual orientation includes how you choose to express your sexual orientation, such as through your appearance or the places you visit. Discrimination occurs when you are treated differently because of your sexual orientation.
Find out more about the Equality Act 2010, which provides the legal framework to tackle disadvantage and discrimination.