Devon County Council Budget 2026: £268m for SEND and council tax rise confirmed

Devon County Council has approved an £839 million budget for 2026/27, placing a "major cash injection" into special educational needs (SEND) and road repairs at the heart of its plans

The budget, passed on 24 February, includes a £268 million investment in children’s services, a £19.1 million increase, alongside a 4.99 per cent council tax rise for residents. For a typical Band D household in Exeter, this will add £89.91 to their annual bill.

Spending on children and families will rise to £268 million in 2026/27, an increase of £19.1 million on the previous year, reflecting growing demand in children’s social care, early help services and specialist education support. 

Within that total, £69 million has been allocated to SEND provision through the Inclusion and Learning budget. 

An additional £600,000 will be used to improve the speed of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), aiming to reduce delays in the statutory 20-week process – a long-standing concern among Exeter parents.

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Over the next five years, £25.8 million will be invested in new and expanded specialist schools to create additional places for children who need more intensive support. 

A further £76.5 million in capital funding will go towards children’s homes, school expansions and specialist provision. 

The budget follows confirmation that the Government has written off £180 million of Devon’s historic SEND deficit.

Steve Race MP said: “After 14 years of Tory cuts to local authorities, I’m pleased that this Government has increased national funding for local authorities, and supported Devon County Council to increase its spending power by 23 per cent by 2029.” 

“The Government has also written off £180m of Devon’s SEND deficit and increased funding for road maintenance by 50 per cent in two years, which are two of the biggest issues people in Exeter contact me about.”

“While we can’t undo the damage done by years of austerity overnight, I’m pleased to see DCC intends to make use of this money to improve the services we all rely on.”

“I hope they will now also reconsider their proposed deep cuts to local library services, given the outcry from residents. I will be keeping a close eye on how this budget is implemented - particularly on getting our potholes filled - and will continue to campaign to make sure Exeter gets its fair share, from both the national government and Devon County Council.”

The local budget increase comes alongside the publication of the Government’s education and SEND White Paper, which sets out a decade-long reform programme aimed at making mainstream schools more inclusive. 

Devon’s Cabinet Member for SEND, Councillor Denise Bickley, has welcomed the proposals, which include earlier intervention, clearer national standards and stronger partnership working between education, health and care services. 

The White Paper introduces plans for new Individual Support Plans for all children with SEND, while retaining and reforming EHCPs for those with more complex needs. 

Nationally, £4 billion has been earmarked to strengthen mainstream inclusion, alongside £1.8 billion for specialist support services such as speech and language therapy and educational psychology.

Overall, Devon County Council will spend £839.2 million on day-to-day services next year – a £33.2 million increase on 2025/26. To balance the books, the authority must deliver £38.98 million in savings, alternative funding or additional income. 

Highways maintenance will rise to £32.4 million in 2026/27, with an additional £4 million investment agreed for drainage, gully clearance and preventative works. Over five years, £546.1 million will be invested in highways infrastructure

Adult social care remains the largest single area of spending at £395.9 million, up £9.9 million, reflecting rising demand and higher wage costs in the care sector. 

Spending on community services and libraries will total £14.4 million, with councillors restoring the book fund to £500,000 and providing additional transition support funding.

For households in Exeter, the county council’s decision forms the largest part of the overall council tax bill. Combined with precepts for policing, fire services and the city council, Band D properties will see an overall rise from April. 

For many Exeter families, however, the real measure of the budget will be whether improvements in SEND assessment times, specialist school places and mainstream inclusion are delivered in practice during the year ahead.