William Eichler 02 September 2024

West Midlands councils warn region will be ‘financially unsustainable’

West Midlands councils warn region will be ‘financially unsustainable’  image
Image: 4kclips / Shutterstock.com.

Seven local authority leaders in the West Midlands have written to the Government warning there is a risk the region will have to declare itself as ‘financially unsustainable.’

In total, Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils face a funding gap of ‘well over’ £200m for 2025/26, they said.

Writing to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, the council leaders said they face the same pressures: the rising cost and demand in adult social care, children’s services, homelessness/temporary accommodation, and an increase in the demand for SEND services, such as home-to-school transport.

‘Local government needs more funding to stabilise the sector and protect the vital services our residents need and value, but also needs fundamental system changes to underpin a new relationship between central and local government,’ they said.

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