Ellie Ames 19 January 2024

Southampton latest to request financial support

Southampton latest to request financial support image
Image: P.Cartwright / Shutterstock.com

Southampton City Council has begun the ‘sensible’ process of seeking Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) as it struggles to balance its budgets.

Despite finding more than £16m in savings for this year and £22m for 2024-25, the local authority said it is still forecasting shortfalls for both years.

Council leader Lorna Fielker said Southampton had been clear ‘for some time’ that seeking EFS was a 'real possibility' given the authority's budget pressures.

Cllr Fielker said: ‘I can confirm that we have started the process for seeking EFS.

‘This is a sensible course of action taken by a number of other local authorities and we await a response from the Government as to the next steps.’

Just this week, both Nottingham City Council and Middlesbrough Council confirmed that they would also seek support through the EFS framework.

Last year, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy warned Southampton that it risked having to issue a section 114 notice if it did not ‘bring spending under control’.

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