Roads and children’s services will receive a major cash injection in the first budget of Devon County Council’s new administration.
The County Council’s Cabinet revealed today (Tuesday 17 February) that highways will receive an additional £15 million of additional capital investment in 2026–27. This will fund targeted preventative maintenance, resurfacing and patching.
On top of that, £4 million of additional revenue funding will be spent on highway drainage improvements, gully clearance, vegetation management and other preventative work. A further £10 million per year will continue this approach across the remainder of a five-year Medium-Term Financial Plan.
Under the proposed budget, the council also intends to invest £268 million in services for children and young people – an increase of £19.1 million. This covers support for children in care, early help for families, education services, and improved fees and allowances to foster carers to strengthen support for existing carers and expand efforts to recruit new carers.
Funding includes £69 million for SEND support within the Inclusion and Learning budget, with an additional £600,000 investment in SEND to speed up 20-week Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP).
Schools and SEND services also receive a separate ring fenced grant of £843 million.
The Council also reaffirmed its commitment that no libraries are closing. It will restore the book fund to £500,000 by adding £225,000 to it.
There will also be £425,000 to support general library delivery during transition, and plans were announced to establish a £1 million reserve for Libraries and Rural Hubs to support genuine transformation and community-led improvement.
Councillor James Buczkowski, Cabinet Member for Finance, said:
“We said we would deliver change. This budget delivers that change responsibly, sustainably and with a long-term view for Devon.
“We are strengthening our commitment to children, young people and the most vulnerable.
“On highways, Devon’s roads have taken a battering. After years of underfunding and “managed decline” we’ve now seen severe storms, sustained rainfall and repeated freeze-thaw cycles that have caused significant structural damage. This investment will improve how we manage schemes, how we communicate with communities and how we hold delivery to account. It is not just about spending more. It is about doing it properly.
“In a tough national funding environment, we have set a balanced and fiscally responsible budget, protected and prioritised children, young people and families, invested in the most vulnerable, strengthened infrastructure and delivery, and remained honest about the financial reality we face.”
The council also plans to spend £395.9 million on Integrated Adult Social Care. This will help support older people and adults with disabilities to live safely and independently.
For Public Health and Communities, the council intends to invest £14.4 million on services that help people stay healthy, such as health checks, support to stop smoking, and drug and alcohol treatment. This is supported by a separate national Public Health Grant of £37.7 million.
To support economic development and skills, the council has allocated £2.8 million. This will help with business support, apprenticeships and adult learning programmes, alongside more than £8.4 million in national skills funding.
In order to manage those budgets, the County Council’s council tax precept will rise by 4.99 per cent. This represents an additional £89.91 for 2026/27 for Band D properties.
These decisions, says the council, have been guided by evidence and strengthened by the council’s Scrutiny committees as part of the budget setting process.
The proposed budget will now go to Full Council on Tuesday 24 February for formal approval.