councils at risk of ging bankrupt

At risk councils

Below is a list of councils which have warned of bankruptcy or are in financial peril, and their projected shortfall. ** indicates councils which have not warned of bankruptcy but admit they are in financial peril.

JB COMMENTS: Speaking as a Council Tax Payer here in Bournemouth - actually - 2 lots of Council Tax - I suggest / demand that ALL council bonuses and commissions and rewards be withheld or even reclaimed ( repaid ) to the council as the staff - quite simply-- at least the decision makers - HAVE NOT DONE A GOOD ENOUGH JOB TO WARRANT A FINANCIAL BONUS OF ANY KIND.

How dare these incompetent council staff patronise us - condescend to us - treat the pubic like we are a nuisance when THEY ARE INCOMPETENT AT THEIR JOB AND SHOULD BE FIRED. Bournemouth Council has lied to me repeatedly when I phone and complain - streets not cleaned - garbage left uncollected - abandoned cars no one else thinks to do anything about - and after 3 calls in the first 3 years here, I was branded a CONSTANT COMPLAINER by the council and I was disgusted. 3 times a CONCERNED CITIZEN phones about garbage on the streets and I am called a constant complainer. Disgraceful by a council employee who - clearly - like the rest - is incompetent and should be fired.

If I ran Hamilton Hall the way the council runs its business I would have closed and gone bankrupt decades ago. But then, I am a good business man and the council workers know fuck all about running a business, financial planning or anything else, as this list below indicates - and they always blame children's services, housing, the homeless and yet NEVER state when the council has lost MILLIONS through foolish and moronic decision making plans that end up loosing millions of OUR MONEY.

BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET £6.5M Councillors blamed a drop in central government funding and rise in asylum-seeking children in the council care system for its budget gap.
BOURNEMOUTH, CHRISTCHURCH AND POOLE £45M Authority admitted its forecasted shortfall equates to a 15% cut in all services and said it was “technically insolvent” because its reserves were not enough to cover an overspend on children with special needs.
BRADFORD £103M It faces a £68m budget shortfall due to rising cost of children’s social care. A children’s outdoor activity centre is likely to be sold.
BRENT £8M London borough warned that buildings could be sold, staff laid off, and cuts made to services for adults with physical and learning difficulties.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE CITY £31M In December, council warned it was in “financial peril”.
**BURY £22.6M In December, council warned the current £22.6m gap would reach £41.5m by 2027.
CHELMSFORD CITY £4.2M Essex council says overspending on temporary accommodation is so unsustainable it could lead to cuts and bankruptcy.
CHESHIRE EAST £11M In December, council warned it faced bankruptcy after spending millions preparing for leg of HS2, only for the government to cancel it.
COTSWOLD DISTRICT £1.3M In October, councillors warned they would be unable to balance the books, blaming central government for failing to increase funding to deal with inflation.
COVENTRY CITY £30M It could declare bankruptcy in 2024, blaming social care costs and inflation.
**DERBYSHIRE COUNTY £46M Council introduced a raft of cuts in September to plug a £46m funding gap.
DUDLEY £12M Council’s auditor reported earlier this month that “the risk of 114 is very high”. Council is proposing to increase council tax by 4.99%.
DURHAM COUNTY £6.2M County council says it must make “difficult decisions” to avoid bankruptcy.
GUILDFORD BOROUGH £3.3M Council avoided need for an S114, but said significant work was still required to produce a balanced budget for 2024-25
HAMPSHIRE £56.7M County council has warned it needs to make drastic cuts, including ditching “safe” levels of core service, to avoid bankruptcy
HASTINGS BOROUGH £3.8M Report last year warned council was at risk of bankruptcy, blaming cost of housing people in temporary accommodation.
HAVERING £31M Last week, council warned it may go bust in six weeks, blaming care and housing costs.
HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY £13M In 2023, council introduced emergency measures to reduce shortfall.
**ISLE OF WIGHT £12M Authority is expected to increase council tax to its topmost limit of 5%.
KENT COUNTY COUNCIL £86M Budget gap is blamed on cost of adult social care, home to school transport, and children’s services.
**KIRKLEES COUNCIL £47M Cost-saving plans include closing care homes for people with dementia and reducing number of council-run leisure centres.
LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL £34.1M Sports, social care, parks, museums, and library budgets face cuts.
**LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL £100M (by 2027) Council admitted budget gap could exceed £100 million by 2027.
MEDWAY COUNCIL £38.75M In August a financial report warned that bankruptcy was “very likely”.
MIDDLESBROUGH £6.4M Councillors have warned of council tax rises of up to 50%.
**NORFOLK £145.2M County council admitted last year it faces a £145m shortfall over next four years.
**OLDHAM COUNCIL £27.9 (2022) Council predicts shortfall could top £42.5M by end of 2025.
**ROCHDALE COUNCIL £14.1M (2026/27) Forecast gap for 2024/25 is £3.6m, rising to £14.1m in 2026/27.
**SALFORD CITY COUNCIL £23.9M Mayor has asked Chancellor for more funds to cover funding gap.
**SHROPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL £37.6M Council says demand for some services has been up to twice as much as its budget estimates.
SOMERSET £100M Auditors warned council in November it could go bankrupt.
SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL £37.8M City council is considering selling £85m of assets.
ST HELENS £9.4M Report warns that if the projected overspend is not mitigated “considerably”, there is a risk of a Section 114 notice “in the medium term”.
**STOCKPORT COUNCIL £3.75M Last year the council said it had managed to maintain services but needed to manage a forecast £3.75m deficit.
STOKE ON TRENT CITY COUNCIL £14M Council blames funding gap on cost of children’s social care.
**SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL £22.3M It will cut spending, sell energy and use savings to stay afloat.
**SWINDON COUNCIL £6.5M Councillors describe their finances as “on a knife edge”.
**TAMESIDE £10M Council has spent £40m in reserves and will have to find a further £39.82m worth of budget reductions by 2028/29.
TRAFFORD £25M Council is one of 20 lowest-funded and recently told residents they were lobbying government for the extra resources.”
**WIGAN COUNCIL £32M Lancashire council was forced to access its reserves in 2021 and since then has faced severe shortfall. The latest figures show a £32million funding gap.
TOTAL FUNDING SHORTFALL: £1,286,300,000

When you hear about councils spending HUNDREDS OF £ A WEEK TO TAXI ONE SPECIAL NEED CHILD TO SCHOOL - or where the council buys a whole shopping centre in order to make money from the rents and immediately half the shops close and the centre is half full of second rate shops - and where the council are now loosing money - it beggars belief.

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