A survey of council leaders released on the eve of tomorrow's Budget suggests local government is prioritising greater autonomy over a bigger cheque from central government.
The Key Cities poll found that 27% of leaders put increased central funding first, down from 33% last year, when it was their top priority.
More than half (53%) now want funding powers devolved from Whitehall. A third (33%) want stronger local tax-raising powers, and one in five (20%) want wider policymaking powers.
The local authority leaders also warned that devolution reforms must not create a ‘two-tier’ system, divided between mayoral and strategic authorities and the rest of the country.
They also flagged uncertainty over local government reorganisation (LGR) as a brake on growth.
Adult social care is the biggest financial pressure, named by a third of leaders (33%). Housing delivery follows (20%), then homelessness and temporary accommodation (13%) and rising demand for other statutory services (13%).
No leader named SEND as their main concern, even though deficits are forecast to reach £10bn by 2028. This suggests attention is fixed on immediate budget pressures, says Key Cities researchers.
On balancing budgets, 60% say their council is prioritising service redesign to improve efficiency and outcomes. That marks a clear change from last year, when raising council tax was the most common answer (73%).
Council tax rises and use of reserves are still widely used, each cited by 47% of leaders, while 27% pointed to asset sales and staff redundancies. Housing shortages (40%) and access to investment (27%) were the most commonly cited barriers to economic growth. Skills, energy infrastructure and planning constraints were each named by 7%.
The survey also delivers a clear verdict on Right to Buy. A third of respondents (33%) want it abolished, and another third (33%) back reform with greater local discretion. A further 20% would like powers to suspend it in areas under acute housing pressure. No respondent supported keeping the current system unchanged.
