Budget Consultation 2026-2027 - Page 1 of 5 - City of Wolverhampton Council

Page 1 of 5

Our City Our Plan

Our annual budget is used to deliver priorities set out in Our City: Our Plan.

The plan sets out the ambition that ‘Wulfrunians will live longer, healthier lives.’ Delivery of this ambition is supported by six priorities:

Strong families where children grow up well and achieve their full potential
Fulfilled lives with quality care for those that need it
Healthy, inclusive communities
Good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods
More local people into good jobs and training
Thriving economy in all parts of the city

Our Principles

Our six priorities are supported by four cross-cutting principles.

Climate Action
Driven by Digital
Fair and Equal
Wolverhampton Pound

Click here for more information about each of the six priorities Click here for more information about each of the six priorities

Strong families where children grow up well and achieve their full potential

We want all children and young people in our city to grow up happy and healthy and to realise their full potential. Families, wider social networks, communities and schools are important to helping children and young people achieve this, but at different times in their lives they may face challenges and need different types of support. Our aim is to provide early, effective support to children and families to build resilience and keep children safely at home whenever possible. When home isn’t an option, the goal is to find stable, high-quality care within their community.

Fulfilled lives for all with quality care for those that need it

We want all residents of the city to live independent lives for longer and to have a good quality of life. Being in good health for as long as possible impacts on our relationships with family and friends, and our ability to fully participate in the community and to contribute to the local economy. Staying in good health into older age is also closely related to how much support and care a person needs and their use of services such as adult social care.

Healthy, inclusive communities

A good start in life, high-quality education and employment, and a decent home in a thriving community are the strongest factors that influence both how long a person is likely to live and their quality of life. Getting these factors right, coupled with enabling access to high quality health and care services, will have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of our residents. We will help more people live for longer and stay healthier for longer, help people live happier and more active lives, protect vulnerable people from harm, and support inclusive, welcoming communities where people feel safe and look out for each other.

Good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods

The home in which a family lives is one of the most important factors in determining their wellbeing and prosperity. We are committed to ensuring that every resident has a safe, stable and affordable home so they can achieve their full potential and build communities where everyone can thrive.

More local people into good jobs and training

All residents in Wolverhampton need an income which can support them and their family. We want all local people to have the right support and opportunities to get a stable job with decent pay so that they can build a future and help us grow our city together. We will help create good quality local jobs, work in partnership to support local people into work and better jobs, and support a flexible skills system which support local businesses to grow and residents to access high quality training and better jobs.

Thriving economy in all parts of the city

Our approach to economic growth is centred on a principle of ‘good growth’. This means achieving both the right quantity and the right quality of growth; creating a strong, productive and resilient economy where a radical uplift in business competitiveness, productivity and profits goes hand in hand with access to good jobs that pay higher wages, and where all residents have access to opportunity and enjoy improved quality of life. We now have an economy worth £4.7 billion, supporting over 100,000 jobs – and predicted to be worth £6.7 billion by 2040.

1. Are you responding as:

(Required) A resident of the city Part of the Voluntary and Community Sector in the city A business in the city Someone who works in the city A student in the city Other (please specify in the box below)

If you are responding as a business or part of the voluntary and community sector, please provide the name of the business or organisation:

2. Which of the six priorities is most important to you?

Please rank them in order with 1 as most important and 6 least important.

(Required)

Strong families where children grow up well and achieve their full potential

Fulfilled lives with quality care for those that need it

Healthy, inclusive communities

Good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods

More local people into good jobs and training

Thriving economy in all parts of the city

3. Which of the four cross-cutting principles is most important to you?

Please rank them in order with 1 as most important and 4 as least important.

Click here for more information about each of the four principles Click here for more information about each of the four principles

Climate Action

We remain resolute in taking positive climate action in all we do to challenge the increasing and real impacts of climate change globally and locally. We are working closely with key partners towards a net zero Wolverhampton.

Driven by Digital

Now more than ever digital skills and connectivity are vital to ensure our residents can access services, interact with friends and family, and enter the job market. The city is at the forefront of digital infrastructure and innovation. We are continuing to build on significant improvements in fixed and mobile connectivity, and continue to use the power of digital and AI to transform the way we deliver services.

Fair and Equal

We will continue to tackle the inequalities in our communities which impact on the opportunities of local people. The Council’s ‘Excellent’ rated equalities framework is at the heart of this plan. Everybody in our city, whatever their background, should have a pathway to achieve their potential and succeed. No community will be left behind as we transform our city together.

Wolverhampton Pound

The Wolverhampton Pound is an initiative supporting community wealth building. Through the Wolverhampton Pound we want to use the combined power of institutions, businesses and communities to retain local wealth, creating new jobs and opportunities. We’ll do this in partnership with the city’s anchor institutions.

(Required)

Climate Action

Driven by Digital

Fair and Equal

Wolverhampton Pound

4. Which of the following council public services is most important to you?

Choose your top 5 – with 1 as the most important to you down to 5 as your fifth most important.

(Required)

Adults Services - including caring for elderly and vulnerable people and helping them to stay in their own homes.

Children and Young People Services - including child protection, and children and young people in care.

Education - School standards and school place allocation. (Please note the Council does not control individual school budgets – funding for this comes directly from central government).

Streets and Traffic Services - including street lighting, road surfacing, pot hole repairs and road safety

Waste and recycling services including bin collections, household waste and recycling centres.

City Environment including street cleansing, fly tip removal, litter picking and grounds maintenance.

Sports and Leisure - WV Active Leisure Centres offering membership packages, public swimming and other sporting activities.

Parks and open spaces - Space for leisure and relaxation, hosting sporting and cultural events and offer playgrounds and other facilities like fitness trails.

Food, Environmental and Consumer Protection - Delivery of a range of services that are aimed at protecting the general public from the adverse impacts of unregulated premises, goods and services.

Housing Services - Provides a greater choice of accommodation for housing needs and inclusive economic growth for Wolverhampton. The service also works to prevent homelessness.

Libraries, Archives and Community Centres – Provision of Library Services including books, computer facilities and room hire. Facilitating services for advice and support, clubs, events and activities. Community Centres including activities and hire bookings. Archives including maps, books, census returns, newspapers, records from local schools, churches, clubs, societies and businesses, electoral registers, and indexes to births, deaths and marriages.

Planning and Building Control Services – Including planning permission, planning pre-application advice, planning policy (including the Wolverhampton Local Plan), building regulations and conservation.

Car Parks and Enforcement - Including provision of on street parking, car parks, permits, parking enforcement and bus lane enforcement.

Economic Development and Regeneration - Attracting jobs, inward investment and supporting local business growth.

Learning, Employment and Skills - Adult Education Service and Skills Services deliver further education and skills training across the City to help individuals gain necessary qualifications and skills.

Public Health – Initiatives to support public health and wellbeing (for example, tackling obesity and drug/alcohol misuse).

Cultural Venues including the Art Gallery and Bantock House.