Responsible budget decisions to set Council up for positive future
Monday, December 02, 2024
Wakefield’s Council Leader is setting out plans for protecting frontline services whilst delivering a sustainable local budget.
Initial budget plans outline savings the Council will make to help meet a £35.8 million budget challenge in 2025-26. They are a key part of responsible decision-making now which aims to set the district up for long-term success.
“We’re strongly focusing on delivering a budget which protects our frontline services as much as we can.
“Provides the best value for money for local taxpayers. And takes the difficult but responsible decisions we need for the district to have a positive future.
“We’ve got a new Government, with a new approach. But 14 years of chronic underfunding of our local services can’t be undone overnight.
“Like most Councils our financial position remains a difficult one. But by taking responsible decisions now we’ll set our area up for long-term success.”
Cllr Denise Jeffery
Leader of Wakefield Council
The initial plans for 2025-26 aim to save £29 million from a mix of efficiencies, generating more income, and making changes to services. A further £16.4 million of savings are outlined for 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Included in the 2025-26 proposals are;
- Saving £2.5 million from improving how the Council manages commissioning and contracting arrangements
- Rationalising organisational and business support processes by £3.0 million
- Varying the opening times of some libraries, museums and castles
- Reviewing the frequency of garden waste collections. Offering a monthly collection as a minimum.
- Saving over £1.0m by reducing reliance on hotels for homelessness provision
- Generating savings of £3.9m by changing the way some adult social care services work
- Reducing spend on costly external placements in children’s social care, saving £1.4 million by having more in-house provision
- Saving £2.0m million through a review in the Council’s property and facilities management arrangements
- Raising £1.87 million by increasing some fees and charges
- Saving £3.7m through technology and digital transformation
If approved by Cabinet on 10 December, the plans will form part of the Council’s budget consultation in January 2025.
“Throughout the last 14 years our ambition for our district and our communities has been consistent.
“Having a new Government that understands the importance of our local services, and which we can have a genuine partnership with, makes a big difference.
“But they don’t have a magic wand. We need to continue to deliver for every person in our area and to take every opportunity we can to invest in your priorities whilst they fix the foundations of our country.”
Cllr Jack Hemingway
Deputy Leader of Wakefield Council
The budget savings plan will also see potential staffing reductions of up to 236 full-time posts. As far as possible, the Council is looking to manage this through the deletion of vacant posts or through the expression of interest process that has already started for flexible retirement, voluntary redundancy, and a permanent reduction in working hours.
The Council is expecting to issue a Section 188 notice under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 in the coming days. This signals an intention to engage in meaningful consultation with recognised trade unions with the aim of avoiding compulsory redundancies this financial year.
The initial budget savings proposals will be considered at the Council’s next Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 10 December. It starts at 10.30am and can be watched live or later on the Council’s website.
The Council has a legal requirement to deliver a balanced budget. The full set of budget proposals will go before Cabinet in January after receipt of the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, expected in December.
Consultation on the budget proposals will then take place early in 2025. The final 2025/26 budget will be reported to Cabinet in February ahead of Budget Council on 3 March 2025.