North Somerset must take ‘radical’ action to avoid issuing a Section 114 notice, the authority has said in a stark warning.
The unitary council is facing a £23.5m overspend this year and has told residents to prepare for non-essential services being reduced or withdrawn, warning that they ‘will see and feel a difference’.
Savings of almost £12m have been identified so far, with spending said to have been postponed or cancelled wherever possible, but an £11.6m budget gap remains.
Council leader Mike Bell said: ‘Some of our decisions will be unpopular. People will be angry.
‘We will do our best to ensure our communities have all the information they need so they understand why we are having to take such action.’
The council labelled the situation a 'financial emergency', which it said was largely caused by ‘unprecedented’ pressure on social care, housing and home to school transport services.
But it warned the crisis was not a one-off, after recalculating its future spending plans and discovering a £30m deficit for each of the next three years.
The council’s executive will meet on 17 September to discuss its budget plans.
