£1billion budget to support our residents and their city
Our budget for spending on council services in 2026/27 is £1.046billion.
This budget is good news for Manchester and for our 630,000 residents.
It means we can start building back what’s been lost over the last 15 years, which saw Manchester hit hard by previous Government cuts and unfunded pressure on our budgets.
This Government has increased Manchester’s share of the national pot with fairer funding taking into account our people’s needs, population growth and deprivation. This means we can put millions of pounds into what residents have told us they value: good homes, good jobs and a good life in well cared for neighbourhoods.
So, as well as continuing to support those most in need – whether they are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, facing homelessness, or are children or adults needing care, protection or extra help – our budget also puts millions into visible improvements across the city:
- £5.13million to improve street cleaning, taking next year’s overall street cleaning budget to £10.6 million.
- Almost £1million extra to crack down on fly tipping and littering and improve waste collection and removal – rising to £1 million a year by 2028/29.
- More than £1.7m to boost maintenance in public spaces, especially parks and green spaces.
- £1.1 million extra in 2026/27 to improve roads, pavements and paths and £500,000 for gritting footpaths in local centres, bringing the total highways budget to £20.7million.
- £550,000 a year will improve drainage and grid cleaning to help reduce flooding.
- There’s more to get Manchester people moving with £1.47million on sports and physical activity such as free swimming for under-16s and over-60s, and free gym sessions for 11–16s and veterans.
- Libraries will get more for books with better opening hours such as Sundays opening in eight libraries.
- We’ll invest more in local high streets and centres, and we’re on course to meet our goal of at least 10,000 council, social and genuinely affordable homes built by 2032.
We’re raising more funding locally too, thanks to our city’s economic success.
Building on the progress of recent years, this budget will lay the foundation for a fairer, greener, and more inclusive Manchester. It supports clean, safe neighbourhoods and protects the city’s most vulnerable people, making sure Manchester continues to thrive, even in challenging times.
See full detail of every council budget in