Calderdale Council faces millions of pounds of cuts amid a 'financial storm'', warns councillor

There is a “significant risk” to council finances if national Government does not shore up budgets at a time of rising costs and increased demand on services, says senior Calderdale councillor Silvia Dacre.

Coun Dacre, Cabinet member for Resources, said funding cuts on a scale not seen since 2011 and the start of austerity are likely, but this time with Calderdale already having experienced £120 million axed from its budget over the years since.

An unsettled situation likely to change again shows the council having to make more cuts of £10.2 million next year to balance the books.

Worse is forecast in the following two years, with £12.9 million addition cuts to be found in 2024-25 and another £18.4 million cuts in 2025-26, as things stood, Coun Dacre told Cabinet.

“Realistically Government support is necessary for Calderdale and other councils to be able to weather the financial storm that’s hitting us,” she said.

Coun Dacre (Lab, Todmorden) said all indicators are that councils face real term cuts and there were indications the Government would look for more savings across departments.

There was a “significant risk” in the forecasts of rising costs and increasing demand for services from residents suffering a cost of living crisis, she said.

An updated financial position will be reported to January’s Cabinet and, she told Coun Steven Leigh (Con, Ryburn), who asked for a formalised third quarter review, party groups will receive the information.

Councillors will at that time have to consider their budget proposals for next year and, if cuts need to be made, decide where.

Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab, Park) said it was a very serious position the council faced.

“We will try somehow or other to make the resources stretch – our staff have slogged their guts out when we have had so many cuts.

“We will do our level best to protect our services as best we can,” she added.

“I hope very much that people in Parliament will be willing to stand up against any financial strategy that might be put forward by central Government which thinks that local government is an easy target to balance the tax cuts,” she said.