Budgets and efficiency | LocalGov


Bournemouth could borrow £57.5m to cover SEND deficit 30/01/2025 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council has proposed borrowing £57.5m to tackle a funding gap for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.
Nine in 10 council housing budgets under financial stress 20/01/2025 Local authorities have warned in a new survey that they may be unable to balance their books because of pressure on their council housing budgets.
Cheshire East asks to raise council tax by 9.99% 15/01/2025 Cash-strapped Cheshire East has asked the Government for permission to increase council tax by 9.99% for the 2025-26 financial year.
Leeds proposes closing dozens of bowling greens 13/01/2025 Half of the council-run crown bowling greens in Leeds under plans to save nearly £275m over five years.
Bristol proposes shutting museums amid £51m budget gap 10/01/2025 Bristol City Council has proposed permanently closing three museums in its bid to tackle a £51.6m budget gap for the next financial year.
Derbyshire plans cuts amid £18m shortfall 03/01/2025 Derbyshire County Council has proposed a series of cuts in the face of an £18.6m shortfall for the next financial year.
Windsor and Maidenhead wants 25% council tax increase amid section 114 warning 11/12/2024 Cash-strapped Windsor & Maidenhead BC has warned a section 114 notice is ‘almost inevitable' if it is blocked from raising council tax by a quarter.
Council to axe 100 jobs in ‘most difficult budget’ 11/12/2024 Derby City Council has proposed cutting more than 100 jobs in what it has called its ‘most difficult budget’.
Councils' SEND deficits ‘could reach absurd levels’ 09/12/2024 Local authority deficits for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision ‘could easily reach absurd levels’ without widespread reform, a think-tank has warned.
Devon proposes £21,000 charge for school exclusions 09/12/2024 Devon County Council has put forward plans to charge schools £21,000 for every child they exclude.
Oasis gigs to boost council's budget 05/12/2024 Manchester City Council is set to make £375,000 from performances at Heaton Park next year, including Oasis’s reunion gigs.
Cheshire East says it has ‘no choice’ but to reduce bin collections 28/11/2024 Cheshire East Council plans to move to three-weekly residual waste collections in a bid to cut costs by £1m, despite local opposition.
North Tyneside to cut 200 jobs 20/11/2024 North Tyneside Council has announced plans to cut 200 jobs as it grapples to balance its books.
Worcestershire set for £12.5m overspend 14/11/2024 Worcestershire County Council must act to avoid a projected overspend of £12.5m this year, a report has warned.
English councils face £9.3bn deficit by 2026-27 25/10/2024 New analysis has uncovered a £9.3bn funding shortfall facing councils in England by 2026-27.
West Northants asks staff to consider redundancy 21/10/2024 West Northamptonshire Council has asked staff to consider voluntary redundancy, flexible retirement and reduced working hours in a bid to cut costs.
One in four councils likely to request exceptional financial support 21/10/2024 One in four English councils believe they will have to apply for exceptional financial support (EFS) in the next two years without additional funding, research has revealed.
Welsh councils face £559m budget gap 10/10/2024 Councils across Wales face ‘extraordinary’ budget pressures totalling an estimated £559m next year, according to the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA).
Birmingham day centres set for axe 10/10/2024 Councillors in Birmingham have been advised to approve the closure of four day centres for disabled adults.
Councils face £54bn funding deficit 02/10/2024 England’s local authorities face a funding shortfall of £54bn over the next five years, new research has revealed.
Norfolk faces £45m budget gap 01/10/2024 Norfolk County Council is planning millions of pounds of cuts it does ‘not want to make’ in the face of a £44.75m deficit in its budget for next year.
Swindon aims to sell assets for £21m 18/09/2024 Swindon Borough Council has agreed to sell commercial properties it owns in the hope of generating £21m.
Lambeth warns of ‘drastic savings’ without help 18/09/2024 Lambeth Council has called for urgent help in the Government’s Budget next month, at a time it said ‘could not be more critical’ for local authorities.
New waste tax could cost councils billions 17/09/2024 A proposed tax on the carbon emitted from burning waste could cost councils billions over the next decade, according to new analysis.
Several London councils ‘edging closer towards effective bankruptcy’ 12/09/2024 Boroughs in the capital are set to overspend by more than £600m this year as housing and homelessness pressures ‘wreak havoc’ on their finances, according to London Councils.
‘People will be angry’: Council must find £11m to avoid S114 11/09/2024 North Somerset must take ‘radical’ action to avoid issuing a Section 114 notice, the authority has said in a stark warning.
Derbyshire could charge parents for children in care 09/09/2024 Derbyshire County Council is considering charging parents whose children are taken into care as it faces ‘unprecedented’ financial difficulty.
Wirral set to spend extra £1m on struggling SEND 05/09/2024 Wirral Council will consider spending an extra £1.1m on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision after it was ordered by the Government to improve.
Public libraries in ‘crisis’ amid cuts 03/09/2024 More than 180 council-run libraries in the UK have either closed or been handed to volunteer groups since 2016, analysis by the BBC has revealed.
Waverley to consult on ‘voluntary council tax’ 30/08/2024 Waverley Borough Council is set to consider asking some residents to pay a ‘voluntary council tax’ to fund discretionary services.
Sheffield faces £34m overspend 27/08/2024 Sheffield City Council is set to overspend by £34.3m this year amid ‘significant’ financial challenges, a report has revealed.
Council to close tip amid £7m improvement costs 23/08/2024 Kirklees Council is set to close a household waste recycling centre (HWRC) to cut costs after discovering that work needed on the site would cost £7m.
Cash-strapped council axes top member roles 22/08/2024 Somerset Council, which has declared a ‘financial emergency’, is cutting several senior member roles to save £36,000.
Cheshire East sets out plan to tackle £100m deficit 16/08/2024 Plans to address a £100m budget gap over four years will be considered by Cheshire East councillors next week.
Eastbourne warns of ‘extensive’ service cuts 14/08/2024 Eastbourne Borough Council has warned that rising costs of homelessness services have left it facing ‘extensive’ cuts to services.
Newham raises alarm over ‘spiralling’ homelessness costs 06/08/2024 Newham Council has warned it may need government assistance due to the ‘spiralling’ costs of supporting homeless people.
Landmark report finds SEND system ‘broken’ 25/07/2024 Major reforms introduced a decade ago have failed to improve educational outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a report has found.
Councillors asked to sign off redundancy plans 24/07/2024 Proposals to save £12m a year by axing hundreds of job posts will be considered by councillors in Hertfordshire next week.
£1m boost to road patching in East Sussex 16/07/2024 East Sussex County Council has committed an extra £1m to road patching, but acknowledged it would cost more than £300m to bring all its roads up to scratch.
East Sussex could face £55m funding gap 10/07/2024 East Sussex County Council is already warning it could be left with a £55m deficit in its budget next year.
Shropshire could cut 540 job posts 09/07/2024 Shropshire Council could cut 540 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts in a bid to cut costs by becoming a smaller organisation.
Council to consider paying £47m extra for waste service 08/07/2024 Somerset Council will consider paying an extra £47m over six years for waste services after its contractor disclosed it was making significant losses in the area.
Islington identifies £1.8bn housing shortfall 05/07/2024 Islington Council is facing a deficit ‘in excess of’ £1.8bn in its housing revenue account (HRA) over the next 30 years.
Homelessness spending triples in eight years 02/07/2024 The proportion of councils’ total housing budget spent on homelessness and temporary accommodation has tripled since 2015, new analysis has revealed.
Middlesbrough aims to recover £67m in debts 26/06/2024 Middlesbrough Council is progressing ‘thousands more’ debt cases after stepping up efforts to recover more than £67m.
Leicester urged not to close half its family hubs 26/06/2024 Parents have launched a petition calling on Leicester City Council to drop plans to close six of its 12 children, young people and families centres.
Public advised to use ‘personal lighting’ amid streetlight cuts 26/06/2024 A council in the outer Hebrides has advised people to consider using ‘personal lighting’ after announcing it would switch off streetlights earlier.
IFS: Funding increases have not reversed austerity 10/06/2024 Councils in England have outspent cash boosts in recent years, leaving core funding 18% lower per person than at the start of the 2010s, think-tank reveals.
North Yorkshire bans public questions at budget meetings 21/05/2024 Public participation will not be allowed at North Yorkshire’s budget meetings as part of a series of changes to the council’s constitution.
Somerset to save £8m with 201 redundancies 16/05/2024 Somerset Council has accepted 201 redundancy applications, which it said would save more than £8m a year.
Scottish councils’ debt is one-and-a-half times funding 08/04/2024 The debt of councils in Scotland is more than one-and-a-half times the latest local government funding settlement, the Scottish Conservatives have found.
Brum consults on £2.3m library cuts 05/04/2024 Cash-strapped Birmingham City Council has launched a consultation on how it will cut £2.3m from its library budget.
Homelessness inquiry launched by NAO 13/03/2024 The National Audit Office (NAO) has launched an inquiry into homelessness as the issue piles pressure on squeezed council budgets.
Shropshire Council staff offered voluntary redundancy 12/03/2024 Staff at Shropshire Council have been offered voluntary redundancy as part of the local authority's plans to lose 300 full time jobs.
Middlesbrough avoids ‘catastrophic’ s114 with approved budget 11/03/2024 Councillors in Middlesbrough have approved a budget with ‘savings and income generation plans’ worth £13.9m.
Sheriff of Nottingham suspended from Labour 07/03/2024 The only Nottingham City councillor to vote against budget cuts has been suspended from the Labour Party.
Watchdog warning over Moray's funding gap 07/03/2024 Moray Council must act quickly to shore up its finances, Audit Scotland has warned.
Majority of northern councils face ‘financial failure’ within five years 01/03/2024 More than half of councils in the north of England are at risk of ‘financial failure’ within the next five years, analysis has found.
Councils set for £2.5bn in exceptional financial support 29/02/2024 The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has agreed to grant 19 local authorities ‘in principle’ capitalisation directions worth almost £2.5bn.
14 councils ‘likely’ to issue s114s next year 28/02/2024 More than half of councils are likely to issue a section 114 notice within the next parliament unless funding is reformed, senior local authority figures have warned.
Vote planned for first UK coastal tourism tax 19/02/2024 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole hoteliers will vote on the introduction of a tourist tax as the authority withdraws direct funding amid budget pressures.
Nottingham executive refuses to back budget cuts 14/02/2024 Executive members of cash-strapped Nottingham City Council have refused to recommend a report that sets out £20m in budget cuts.
Council financial crisis ‘out of control’ 31/01/2024 MPs have issued a stark warning on the ‘very real’ prospect of more councils in England ‘effectively going bust’ if the Government does not address a £4bn funding gap.
DLUHC claims four-day week council saw spike in agency staff 30/01/2024 South Cambridgeshire DC’s controversial four-day week trial is under fresh scrutiny after data revealed a spike in agency work and opponents challenged costs.
Argyll and Bute considers 10% council tax hike 25/01/2024 Argyll and Bute Council are considering a council tax rise of 10% in order to tackle ‘enormous budget challenges’.
Clampdown threat to diversity programmes 24/01/2024 The Government is to clampdown on diversity programmes as part of a drive to ‘reduce wasteful expenditure’.
Southampton latest to request financial support 19/01/2024 Southampton City Council has begun the ‘sensible’ process of seeking Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) as it struggles to balance its budgets.
First North Yorkshire mayoral election to cost £2m 17/01/2024 The election of the first mayor of a new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority is set to cost £2.2m, a council report has revealed.
Scottish councils face ‘difficult decisions’ on cuts 16/01/2024 ‘Intensifying pressures’ on Scottish local authorities mean they must make difficult decisions on service delivery to remain financially sustainable, a watchdog has said.
BCP warns of S114 risk over schools funding 15/01/2024 A growing deficit on its dedicated schools grant (DSG) could force Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council to issue a section 114 notice this year.
Leaderships posts left vacant to cut costs 11/01/2024 Senior leadership posts at Cheshire East Council are being temporarily left vacant as the authority faces ‘significant financial pressures’.
Council warns of S114 risk over HS2 costs 15/12/2023 Cheshire East Council has warned that it may have to issue a section 114 notice after spending £11m preparing for HS2, as it continues to press for compensation.
Swindon’s finances on a ‘cliff edge’ 14/12/2023 Axing 80 jobs is one proposal among a raft of measures under consideration by Swindon Borough Council as it seeks to cover a £14m shortfall.
Middlesbrough proposes job cuts as it warns of ‘tough choices’ 14/12/2023 Middlesbrough Council has proposed axing 75 full-time equivalent posts and cutting social care costs as it scrambles to set a balanced budget for next year.
Quarter of Scottish councils fear bankruptcy 13/12/2023 Nearly a quarter of Scottish councils fear they will be unable to balance their budget next year, new research shows.
Nottingham proposes cutting 550 jobs 13/12/2023 Nottingham City Council has proposed cutting 554 full-time equivalent posts in an attempt to tackle its financial shortfall.
Birmingham given a month to make £300m savings plan 07/12/2023 Commissioners have given Birmingham City Council until 7 January to set out a ‘credible plan’ for addressing a £300m budget gap over the next two years.
One in five councils report bankruptcy fears 06/12/2023 A poll of council leaders and chief executives has revealed that one in five think it likely that their chief finance officer will need to issue a Section 114.
Hull’s finances ‘reaching the end of the road’ 17/11/2023 The leader of Hull City Council has warned the Government that it will not be able to set a balanced budget in 2025-26 without intervention.
Derbyshire denies facing ‘bankruptcy situation’ 17/11/2023 Derbyshire County Council said ‘serious challenges’ lie ahead despite its progress in tackling its financial shortfall.
Brum commissioners warn council will need further help to agree lawful budget 09/11/2023 Commissioners at Birmingham City Council have warned it will struggle to agree a lawful budget next year without further help.
Somerset declares ‘financial emergency’ 09/11/2023 Somerset Council has declared it is facing a ‘financial emergency’ and agreed that ‘urgent actions’ are required to tackle a £100m shortfall.
Council looks to address £100m ‘black hole’ 01/11/2023 Somerset Council is considering measures, including reducing staffing and cutting services to statutory levels, to cover a £100m funding gap.
Call for Government write off of Croydon debt 01/11/2023 The Government should write off Croydon LBC’s £1.3bn of General Fund debt, a senior opposition councillor has urged.
DCN writes to Hunt over temporary accommodation pressures 01/11/2023 Following a summit attended by 158 councils, the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has warned chancellor Jeremy Hunt about ‘unprecedented’ numbers of people turning to councils in the face of homelessness.
One in 10 county councils facing effective bankruptcy 01/11/2023 England’s county and unitary authorities are ‘running out of road’ to prevent insolvency, with one in 10 not sure they can balance their budget this year.
Emergency summit held amid temporary accommodation warnings 31/10/2023 More than 150 councils this week attended an emergency summit as the cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities increases rapidly.
S114 ‘almost inevitable’ for Leicester 30/10/2023 Leicester City Council is ‘rapidly running out of options’ to cut costs and faces financial crisis ahead of its 2025-26 budget, its mayor has warned Michael Gove.
EXCLUSIVE: Nightmare before Christmas? 26/10/2023 The provisional local government finance settlement will be published just before Christmas, council chiefs have been told.
Welsh councils face £750m shortfall 25/10/2023 Local government finances in Wales are on an ‘unsustainable path’, according to a report from Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre.
DCN in cuts warning 24/10/2023 Cultural services, community support and parks and green spaces are all at risk of cuts without a boost to the local government finance settlement, respondents to a District Councils’ Network (DCN) survey have warned.
Council to limit non-essential spending amid s114 threat 28/09/2023 Windsor & Maidenhead BC is to limit all non-essential spending as it raised the risk of a section 114.
Woking entered s114 territory in 2018 13/09/2023 Woking BC may have faced a section 114 notice at least four years before it declared effective bankruptcy, senior councillors have been told.
Brum braced for Government intervention 12/09/2023 Birmingham City Council is braced for a wide-ranging Government intervention to help rescue the authority’s bleak finances, and improve political and officer leadership.
Long-term solution sought to drainage board pressure 12/06/2023 Councils are seeking a ‘long-term solution’ as internal drainage boards (IDB) warn increasing energy costs will pile further pressure on council budgets.
EXCLUSIVE: Councils in dark over new funding stream 18/04/2023 More financial uncertainty is being piled onto councils over the distribution of a fresh funding stream, The MJ has been told.
Croydon approves 15% tax hike 09/03/2023 Croydon LBC has approved a 15% council tax increase as part of a 2023-24 budget that was originally rejected.
Council in £540m debt write off plea 17/02/2023 Croydon LBC has asked Government to write off £540m of its debt in 2023-24 to ‘restore financial sustainability’.
DLUHC: No more section 114 notices expected 10/01/2023 Whitehall officials are not expecting councils to issue further section 114 notices in the coming weeks, crediting the sector’s ‘positive’ settlement.
Brown to ask Government to bypass referendum limit 05/01/2023 The chief executive of troubled Slough Council is preparing to ask the Government for permission to increase council tax above the 5% legal limit.