York Theatre Royal asked the council for a loan while a theatre tax relief claim is delayed. The same report prints two 2027 garden waste prices.

York Theatre Royal has asked City of York Council for a loan of up to £500,000 to help its cash flow. Council officers recommended that the Executive agree.

The request is in the Q2 Finance and Performance Monitor, which went to the Executive on 3 November. The council had not published the meeting’s decisions when we checked early on 5 November, so we cannot yet confirm the result. We will update this page when it does.

What the theatre asked for

The report says the trustees need the money “pending resolution of the delay in recouping significant theatre tax relief”. It also says that producing its own shows means the theatre takes on higher costs upfront, which it expects to pay off in the longer term.

Executive members were asked to:

  • agree a loan of up to £500,000, with the detailed terms left to the Director of Finance
  • raise the council’s letter of credit to the theatre to £570,000, running to July 2033

The letter of credit is a separate backstop. The council first gave one in June 2024, worth up to £426,000, to secure the theatre as a going concern and reassure its auditors and funders. In July 2025 it was extended to July 2028.

The reason given is “to support an organisation that provides a significant cultural offer to York’s residents”. The report does not give the size of the tax relief claim, the interest rate or a repayment date.

Garden waste: £52.40 or £54.60?

The same report sets the 2027 garden waste charge, and it prints two different figures.

  • The recommendation asks the Executive to agree £52.40 a permit.
  • The body of the report proposes a 5% rise to £54.60.

This year’s charge is £52, so 5% does come to £54.60. A price of £52.40 would be a rise of 40p. The report gives no explanation for the difference, so check the decision before you budget for either. The 50% discount for people on council tax support would stay.

The service started charging in August 2024 at £46.50, then went to £49 in 2025 and £52 in 2026. It has more than 40,000 subscribers and costs £2.227m a year to run, the report says. Our bin collection page has the current arrangements.

The wider picture

The report also forecasts a £5.16m overspend this year, on a net budget of £187m. That is up from £2.2m at the last monitor, and compares with £6.2m at the same point last year. Adult social care is the main pressure.

As a result, chief officers must now approve any spending above £5,000, a system the report says is being rolled out across the council. New adult care packages need sign-off from an assistant director.

All this comes on top of the £32.3m budget gap the council expects over the next two years.

What it means for you

  • Theatre-goers: nothing in the report changes the programme. The Theatre Royal’s shows carry on.
  • Garden waste subscribers: expect a rise for 2027, and wait for the confirmed price.
  • Council tax payers: Executive decisions can be called in until 4pm on Tuesday 10 November, unless they are urgent or need Full Council.

Sources