Our Budget

We know that many residents continue to feel the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis. That is why, thanks to our careful and prudent financial management, we are freezing our share of council tax this year to help ease the burden on households.

For example, for a Band D property, this means our portion of council tax will remain at £206.01 a year or £3.96 a week.

We are also continuing our local council tax support scheme assisting more than 7,000 low income households.

Alongside the freeze, there will be no cuts to council services and additional investment will go towards supporting residents and local communities, with more money for community support, pride-in-place, economic development and improving accessibility to our services through digitalisation.

Each year, the council invests significantly in the services residents rely on every day. In 2026/27, more than £50 million will be spent delivering essential services that help keep our district clean, safe and supported. From collecting waste and maintaining green spaces to supporting housing needs, local communities and the local economy, this investment underpins the day-to-day services that make a real difference to our communities.

Investing in our communities

• A further £400,000 over two years for continued cost of living support
• Freeze to the garden waste subscription service
• £255,000 over three years to fund festive lights in our town centres
• £1,500 per councillor for community projects
• £150,000 for environmental initiatives
• £3.8m funding further investment including playground improvements and upgrades to a facility which processes recycled materials
• Major upgrades to waste and recycling services, increasing recycling rates and reducing waste

Delivering services residents rely on

More than £50 million* will be spent on delivering over 100 services, including:

• Refuse and Recycling
• Parks, Cemeteries and Landscapes
• Street Cleaning and Litter Control
• Planning and Development
• Environmental and Regulatory
• Democracy and Elections
• Support Services
• Housing and Homelessness
• Local Tax and Benefits
• Community Services and Support
• Economic Development
• Culture and Leisure

Our share of what you pay in Council Tax

Every £1 you pay in council tax, just 9p goes towards our services

We recognise that rising costs, growing demand for services and reductions in central government funding will continue to put pressure on council budgets in the medium-term.  With this in mind, we are taking proactive steps to streamline operations and make savings in an effort to protect services and ensure a stable financial position in the future.

Find out more about our budget and where your council tax goes.

Planning for the future: your chance to shape the updated Local Plan

The first of two consultations on the draft Local Plan Review are now open - it sets out where future development should go and the policies that guide it up to 2041.

It promotes new homes, jobs and infrastructure to be delivered in the right places, in a sustainable way, while protecting the environment and our district’s character.

All councils are required by Government to prepare a Local Plan. Without one that’s up to date, national rules mean we would have to approve most planning applications. Even if refused locally, developers could appeal and potentially get permission anyway, leading to unplanned or “speculative” development.

To meet mandatory Government targets, we must plan for around 1,300 new homes a year until 2041. Some of this growth will continue in existing allocated areas, while other sites are newly proposed. Wherever new development happens, it must be supported by the right facilities and services.

The Local Plan helps to

• Ensure housing meets local needs and is sustainably located
• Support the local economy by identifying appropriate new employment sites
• Deliver essential infrastructure - better transport links, safe walking and cycling routes, schools,  healthcare, community buildings and sports facilities
• Create well-designed, high-quality places with green spaces and parks
• Protect the district’s natural landscapes and historic sites
• Tackle climate change and manage flood risk
• Safeguard land that is not suitable for development

How to get involved

We’re asking for your views on the early draft of the updated Local Plan and the evidence behind it. We’re holding a series of in-person events where you can learn more, ask questions and share your feedback:

• Hatfield Peverel Village Hall – Monday 9 March
• The Institute, Kelvedon – Tuesday 10 March
• Coggeshall Village Hall – Wednesday 11 March
• Braintree Town hall – Tuesday 17 March
• Queens Hall, Halstead – Wednesday 18 March
• Cressing Sports and Social Club – Thursday 19 March

Why your views matter

Development affects every resident across the district. The Local Plan is the starting point for deciding planning applications.

By working together, we can plan for growth in a way that provides affordable homes, supports communities, and delivers the infrastructure local people need.

We want to hear your views. Share your comments with us.

Read the draft plan and comment online.

Paper response forms are available at:

• Braintree district libraries
• Our consultation events
• Causeway House

Forms can be returned by post or emailed to planningpolicy@braintree.gov.uk

Supporting older residents across our district

Agewell Fairs

Last year, we held two highly successful AgeWell fairs, each bringing together more than 30 local organisations to support older residents with information, advice and community connections.

The Braintree District Agewell fairs, held in Braintree and Witham in 2025, welcomes partners including Carers First, Essex Dementia Care, Healthwatch Essex, Essex Police and others, offering guidance on housing, health, fitness, safety and overall wellbeing.

Feedback from attendees was extremely positive, with many commenting on how helpful it was to have so many services under one roof and how easy the event made it to find the right support at the right time.

The next AgeWell fair is scheduled to take place at Halstead Leisure Centre on 9 April, offering another opportunity for residents to connect with valuable community services, meet local organisations and access support for healthy, independent living.

Celebrating dementia friendly spaces

We are proud to share that several organisations across the Braintree district have recently achieved Dementia Friendly Status, helping to create a more inclusive and supportive community for residents living with dementia.

Both Braintree District Museum and Holmes & Hills Solicitors have been formally recognised for their commitment to making their services and spaces more welcoming, accessible and understanding for people affected by dementia.

Braintree District Museum received the accreditation after demonstrating its dedication to providing a safe, supportive environment for visitors with dementia and their families.

Holmes & Hills Solicitors have also been awarded Dementia Friendly Accreditation, following specialist training completed with the Alzheimer’s Society and the development of a detailed action plan designed to improve inclusivity and access to legal services.

Supporting our community

Stronger Together

As part of our Braintree Safer Streets funding, Theatre Inspiring Change put on productions at Alec Hunter Academy and Notley High School.

The performance, entitled Stronger Together, focused on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) exploring themes including healthy relationships, controlling behaviour, sexist comments, sexual assault and consent.

Students understanding of VAWG and misogyny, greatly improved after watching the performance and they provided very positive feedback on the performance.

Councillor Community Grants – Braintree Martial Arts Centre Judo Club

The Martial Arts Centre in Braintree has set up a Judo club at their centre with the help of a Councillor Community Grant.

The centre received a grant of £3,036 towards judo mats and grappling dummies to help establish the new club, with classes run by two former GB international athletes Sensei Thomas Cousins and Sensei Faith Pitman, to lead and teach the sessions.

Faith said: “We were very lucky and managed to get a grant to get the judo mats. We’re getting new people in to try the club, which is the first in Braintree as far as I’m aware. We wouldn’t have been able to run the club without this grant.”

The aims for this new club are to provide an exciting opportunity for the local community to get involved in Judo, promote physical activity and build new connections across groups.

This Councillor Community Grant was joint funded by Councillors Bowers-Flint, Prime, M Cunningham, M Thorogood, Bowers and Wrench.

Your new recycling bins and boxes are arriving

Over the coming weeks, households across the district will begin receiving new recycling bins and non-standard boxes will follow later, as we prepare for the updated waste and recycling service launching in June 2026. These changes will make recycling easier to understand, more consistent, and better for the environment.

The rollout marks an important step forward, and we want to ensure you feel fully informed as the new services takes shape.

Deliveries began in February and will continue through to May, with new recycling bins and boxes being delivered directly to residents’ properties.

Non-standard boxes will follow in March and therefore may not arrive with the bins, so don’t worry if your neighbours arrives before yours.

As this is a phased rollout, some households will already have received their bins while others will receive them over the coming weeks. Thank you for your support as we work our way across the district.

If your bins have already arrived, please don’t use them yet, even for storage.

Ahead of the new service starting, you will also receive

• A letter outlining what’s changing
• A new collection calendar showing your updated bin days

Please keep an eye out for these important updates, as they will include everything you need to get ready.

If you would like to check your delivery window you can use the online tracker.

Get ready for spring with garden waste collections

Spring is a time of renewal  – and garden waste collections are no exception!

For the second year in a row, the cost of subscriptions has been frozen at £55, which provides fortnightly collections all year round, with a break over Christmas and New Year. Those with larger gardens can purchase additional bins at £37.25 each, plus a subscription fee of £30 per additional bin. Properties that are unsuitable for wheeled bin collections can purchase special compostable sacks for garden waste collection, at £8 per roll of 20 sacks, which includes the cost of delivery and collection. Subscribers receive a collection every two weeks of green waste such as grass cuttings, weeds, dead flowers and plants, leaf-fall and hedge and shrub cuttings. This is then sent for composting.

Sign up or renew to receive the service from April to the end of March 2027 - find out what you need to do by checking your Braintree My account.

If you signed up online last year and did not opt out of auto-renewals, your subscription should have renewed automatically at the beginning of March.

If you signed up by phone or in person, you will have to renew your subscription manually. You can renew or sign up for the first time by going to your Braintree My account.

Find out more about the garden waste collection service

Renters Rights – what you need to know

The Renters Rights Act 2025 is bringing significant changes to the private rented sector. The Government will implement the first chances on 1 May 2026.

Landlords

• Tenancies will become assured periodic tenancies, running on a rolling basis.
• It will be an offence to discriminate against potential tenants who are on benefits or have children and tenants will be able to ask to keep a pet in the property.
• No payments should be taken before the tenancy agreement is signed, properties should be advertised with an asking price.
• To increase the rent, tenants must have at least 2 months’ notice. You cannot increase rent more than once a year.
• It will no longer be possible to evict tenants using the section 21 process and you will need a legal reason to evict them.
• You will need to register yourself and your let properties on the Private Rented Sector database, once it goes live. Civil penalties for non-registration could start around £7,000.
• We will have new powers to investigate, collect and act on evidence if you break the law.

For more information visit: www.nrla.org.uk/resources/renters-rights

Renters

• If you are currently in a fixed term assured shorthold tenancy, it will become a periodic assured tenancy with no end date and operating on a rolling monthly or weekly basis.
• You will need to give 2 months’ notice to end your tenancy, but your landlord will be able to agree to shorter notice. Your landlord can only end your tenancy by going to court.
• Your landlord will not be able to ask for more than 1 month’s rent in advance.
• Your landlord will only be able to put your rent up once a year and you will get at least two months’ notice of a rent increase. You will be able to go to a tribunal if you think a rent increase is too much.
• You will be able to ask to keep a pet in your rented home. You will need to write to your landlord to ask for permission and include a description of the pet you plan to have.
• Your rights will not change on 1 May 2026 if your landlord gives you a valid eviction notice before this date.

 For more information visit: https://england.shelter.org.uk/

Witham's new community centre nears completion

Work on Braintree District Council’s new community centre in Witham is nearing completion marking a major milestone for the £4 million investment.

Located on Haygreen Road, the purpose-built facility will provide a modern, flexible space for residents and community groups.

The centre will include a mixed-use hall, kitchen, bar area and changing rooms, supporting everything from social events and meetings to sports activities on the adjacent football pitch.

Construction work is expected to finish in a few months, after which ownership and management of the centre will transfer to Witham town Council.

Cllr Kevin Bowers, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Performance, said: This new community centre will provide a modern, flexible space for residents to come together, whether for sport, social activities or community events. Together with our partners at Witham Town Council, we look forward to creating a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy. It’s a fantastic investment in the town’s future and we look forward to its completion.”

Power to the people

Utilities are costing more and taking up a growing share of household budgets. Take control of your energy and water use with the support and advice available to help cut costs.

Warm Homes: local grant

The Warm Homes: Local Grant aims to reduce bills and carbon emissions by funding energy saving measures in homes, eg loft insulation, solar PV. Eligible applicants include owner-occupiers and private tenants in homes rated EPC D–G, households on low income or receiving certain benefits and those on ECO Flex Route 2 (go to the Heat Essex website for more information). Private landlords can also apply – their first property is fully funded, with a 50% contribution required for any additional homes.

To check your eligibility and apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant, go to the Heat Essex website or call 01206 326808.

Green Doctor service

The Green Doctor Service, provided by Groundwork East, is a free service in Braintree district, offering small changes around the home to reduce energy costs, including LED light bulbs, draught proofing and radiator panels. Visit the Groundwork website or call 07702 941 440 to see if you are eligible for support.

Clean energy campaign

This campaign from central government offers detailed advice on saving energy in your home and information on more financial support you may be able to access. Visit the Clean energy campaign website to find out more.

Water saving tips

Simple ways to reduce water use and save money from the Energy Saving Trust.

Elections: All you need to know

Elections to Essex County Council are taking place on Thursday 7 May 2026.

Register to vote deadline: Monday 20 April

Apply for postal vote deadline: 5pm on Tuesday 21 April

Apply for proxy vote deadline: 5pm on Tuesday 28 April

Apply for free voter ID deadline: 5pm on Tuesday 28 April

You can register and apply via the GOV website.

Voters now need to reapply for a postal vote every three years. You will be contacted when yours is due.

Photo ID continued to be required to vote at a polling station.

Following our polling places review and the feedback received, we have made changes to some polling stations this year:

• The Tythings in Halstead has moved to The Three Pigeons, Halstead
• Marshalls Park in Braintree has moved to The Chapel Cemetery, Braintree
• Templars Academy in Witham has moved to Rickstones Church, Witham.
• STEM Innovation Centre in Braintree has moved to Polly’s Field, Braintree.

Your polling station

You’ll get a poll card in the post before the election around the end of March. This will tell you where to vote. If you haven’t received your poll card by early April, contact us.

Visit the Braintree District Council Elections page

elections@braintree.gov.uk

01376 557760