A guide to Colchester councillors’ locality budgets

• Unspent money cannot be carried over to the next financial year, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
• Any request must be received in writing by the relevant officer before the application deadline (end of January).
• Each request will be reviewed on an individual basis but should be for something specific with agreed timescales that must be within the next financial year (i.e., not just a general carry forward for no specific spend).

Outdoor planting applications

It is particularly important to plan spend for outdoor planting projects – bulbs and wildflowers (where replacing existing or where local communities or parish / town councils are maintaining). All applications for such spend must be received by 1st September to enable ordering in bulk and ensure quality bulbs/wildflowers are planted at the correct time of year.