Croydon Council has requested £136m exceptional financial support from the Government.
The council says that like other local authorities it is facing ‘seismic funding pressures’ due to spiralling demand and surging costs.
London’s largest borough predicts a £98m budget gap for the coming year and has a £1.4bn general fund debt that will cost £71m next year.
Jason Perry, executive mayor of Croydon, said: ‘The scale of the challenge means that savings are not enough, and I am not prepared to pass the cost to local people.’
He added: ‘To protect public services, now and in the future, we must modernise our council and become more cost effective and efficient.’
