Devon County Council proposes major funding boost for roads, children’s services, and homelessness support

Devon’s roads could receive a significant financial boost following the backing of new budget proposals by county councillors last week. The council’s ruling Cabinet has proposed an additional £4 million for the highways budget in 2025/26, aiming to address long-standing concerns over potholes and road maintenance.

In addition to road improvements, the budget includes an extra £5 million for services supporting vulnerable children and an increase in funding to combat homelessness across the county.

Councillors initially set their target budget at the beginning of January, but greater spending flexibility has emerged due to additional revenue from increased council tax on second homes.

Cabinet Member for Finance, Phil Twiss, said it was important to address residents' concerns about road conditions, stating: “Our postbags regularly include complaints from residents about potholes on our roads. It is important that when there is some extra money available to do more to tackle the problem, it should go to that. I am delighted that the budget now includes an additional £4 million for highways to help address this issue.”

The county’s leadership has engaged in formal consultations with businesses, trade unions, and the voluntary sector, while also considering input from Devon’s scrutiny committees and district council colleagues.

“We recognise the work that district councils, charities, and other organisations do to make life a little easier for some of the homeless people in Devon, and I am delighted that an extra £500,000 has been allocated for the homelessness budget, bringing the total to £1 million,” said Mr. Twiss.

The additional funding for children’s services will support Devon’s ambition to care for vulnerable children closer to their families and communities through a variety of targeted services.

Mr. Twiss said there was a great need for financial responsibility whilst at the same time ensuring essential services receive necessary support. “The backdrop to this budget is the focus on Devon County Council being a strong and sustainable council with better outcomes at lower cost while living within our means against a backdrop of rising demand and pressure on the services we provide. That means a continued focus on the young, the old, and the vulnerable.”

He acknowledged the challenges faced by local governments across the country, noting: “Local government nationally is not in a very good place at all, with surges in demand across all services and insufficient financial resources to support the work it does for residents. Given these highly challenging circumstances, this is a realistic and good budget for the people of Devon.”

The budget for 2025/26 includes above-inflation increases in spending on Devon’s most vulnerable, with an 8.2% rise in adult services funding and a 5.5% increase in the revenue budget for children’s services. Reductions in other departmental spending and increased income will contribute to an overall budget increase of 5.9%, bringing total spending to over £784.1 million.