Contents

Your Council Tax

Council staff deliver vital services to more than 250,000 people who live in the Borough. These include the social care services for adults and children that account for the majority of the Council’s spending.

Careful investment has made a number of project possible in the last year including the new Nest library in Thamesmead, Lime Grove School in Erith and the new Crayford Material Recovery Facility, which has created local jobs and helps to reduce the Borough’s carbon footprint.

This year we’ll be investing more than:

  • £373m in day-to-day services in 2024/25, including:
    • £55 million to provide social care for around 5,500 children and young people and education provision (excluding schools)
    • £79 million to support around 7,300 adults through social care
  • £266m (£95m in 2024/25) over four years through the capital programme –  including additional capital investment of:
    • £4 million on roads (including more than 2,500 pot holes) and parks and open spaces
    • £3 million for equipment for vulnerable older people and people with disabilities.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Baroness O’Neill of Bexley OBE said:

We understand that many residents are under pressure due to the cost of living and as always, we will continue to work hard to ensure that we spend your money sensibly.

I hope you agree that Bexley continues to be a green and pleasant place to live. A place where we can be happy to call home, to bring up children and to stay as we grow old.”

If you are experiencing difficulties or worried about your finances, there are ways that the Council and the organisations we work with can help. Visit Cost of living.

What we spend

The Council has a good track record for financial management and efficiency, making year-on-year savings to keep costs down and improve services.

Over the last 14 years we have saved £144m. In 2024/25, the Council is expecting to raise £141m from Council Tax income and here is how we expect to spend the money.

How every £1 of Council Tax is spent
Legend for diagram How every £1 of Council Tax is spent

Description of image

How is every £1 of Council Tax spent?

  • Adult Social Care and Public Health - 36p
  • Children and Education - 20p
  • Chief Executive's Office - 1p
  • Finance and Corporate - 12p
  • Places, Communities and Infrastructure - 25p
  • Levies - 2p
  • Financing Costs and Contingency - 4p

Bexley Cabinet Members

Following the annual Council meeting in May changes have been made to Bexley Cabinet Member appointments – 

  • Cllr Chris Taylor is now Cabinet Member for Children’s Services
  • Cllr Brian Bishop is now Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing

The full Cabinet list is now – 

  • Leader of the Council - Cllr Baroness O’Neill of Bexley OBE
  • Deputy Leader/Cabinet Member for Resources - Cllr David Leaf
  • Cabinet Member for Adults Services Cllr Melvin Seymour
  • Cabinet Member for Children’s Services - Cllr Chris Taylor
  • Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing - Cllr Brian Bishop
  • Cabinet Member for Education - Cllr Caroline Newton
  • Cabinet Member for Place Shaping - Cllr Cafer Munur
  • Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods - Cllr Richard Diment
Councillor Chris Taylor, Cabinet Member for Children's Services

Cllr Chris Taylor, Cabinet Member for Children's Services

Councillor Brian Bishop, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing

Cllr Brian Bishop, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing