• Make a contribution
  • Get the Print Edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter
Friday, May 23, 2025
  • Login
Reading Today Online
  • HOME
  • YOUR AREA
    • All
    • Caversham
    • Central Reading
    • East Reading
    • Katesgrove
    • Reading
    • Southcote & Coley
    • Tilehurst & Norcot
    • Whitley

    Ex-police officer and comedian Alfie Moore bringing new show to Town Hall

    Tickets for RABBLE’s William The Conqueror on sale on Saturday

    Cllr Alice Mpofu-Coles elected as Mayor of Reading

    Workers ‘optimistic but overwhelmed’ about AI, new research shows

    European Movement in Berkshire welcomes news of a UK/EU ‘relationship reset’

    Council announces fresh wave of cost of living support

    Knife crime in Thames Valley down nearly 10% last year, ONS figures show

    Nearly 100 singers raised their voices for women’s health

    TK Maxx moves to The Oracle, gives customers the chance to win a gift card

  • COMMUNITY
  • READING FC
  • SPORT
    • All
    • Basketball
    • Football
    • Rugby

    Former Reading FC manager Ruben Selles linked with League One job

    Four in a row for BAPCO

    Reading fans – you can finally dare to dream again

    Rob Couhig reveals new Reading FC CEO following takeover

    It’s a podium streak for Wokingham racing star Bobby with a win at Silverstone

    Rams RFC celebrate at end of season ball

    Lewis hits brilliant century to see Berkshire CCC beat Buckinghamshire

    ‘Without you, there would be no club’: Defender sends farewell message to Reading FC fans

    Style and splendour returns to Newbury

  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • ARTS
    • READING FESTIVAL
    • READING PRIDE
    • WOKINGHAM FESTIVAL
  • PRIDE OF READING
  • OBITUARIES
  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Reading Today Online
No Result
View All Result
Home Featured

Reading Borough Council: Nearly £13 million needed over three years for inflationary shortfall

Jake Clothier by Jake Clothier
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 2:31 pm
in Featured, Reading
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

READING Borough Council says that nearly £13 million is likely to be needed over the next three years to meet increases in demand for services.

The latest budget announcement by the council is citing “sharp” increases in demand on council services alongside general pressures of inflation as it seeks to make savings.

The Medium term Financial Strategy update has been released ahead of the details of the Local Government Finance Settlement, with a finalised version of the full budget set to be finalised in February.

The provisional document laid out a number of “financial pressures” that the council’s budget was facing, and an estimate of £12.9m’s worth of savings and “efficiencies” to be made.

It explains that £7.5 million would be needed for children’s services, with just under £6m needed for increased placement costs for children, plus an extra £1.6m of net inflationary increases, as reported by Brighter Futures for Children.

The adult social care services also need nearly £6m, including care for older and vulnerable residents, of which £4.5m is related to inflation.

Related posts

Ex-police officer and comedian Alfie Moore bringing new show to Town Hall

Tickets for RABBLE’s William The Conqueror on sale on Saturday

Cllr Alice Mpofu-Coles elected as Mayor of Reading

Workers ‘optimistic but overwhelmed’ about AI, new research shows

Another £1m is expected to be required over the next three years for preventing homelessness, which, it says, is a result of the rise in private sector evictions and an increased cost of providing emergency accommodation.

In all, more than £4m of extra funding will need to be found by the council for the 2024/2025 period, and the remaining £8.8m for the following two years.

The figures are provisional, and come ahead of the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement due in mid-December.

The report has been released ahead of a Select Committee meeting later this week, and the budget as set out in full will be discussed in February next year.

Despite the shortfall, the council insists it will continue with investment into new facilities, including its planned transport infrastructure improvements, new library and civic centre, leisure investments, and renewable energy investments.

The draft program of those investments totals more than £290 million in spending over the next three years, which the council said was made up of a combination of “successful bids for grants, cheaper borrowing available to councils, developer contributions, infrastructure funding and capital receipts.”

These are set apart from funds used to run services, which are not used to balance revenue budgets.

Councillor Jason Brock, Reading Borough Council Leader, said: “The link between high inflation – precipitating the on-going cost-of-living crisis – and pressures on council budgets everywhere is undeniable and now clear to see.

“Locally in Reading, we are seeing a significant spike in demand for the essential local services the Council provides– the cost of placements to protect children in care is rising fast, as is the cost of caring for older and vulnerable residents.

“The Social care is a sector largely ignored by this Government for many years, and the consequences nationally are stark.”

He explained: “As residents continue to struggle financially, we are seeing a rise in private sector evictions, with the Council left to pick up the increasing cost of providing emergency accommodation.

“Twelve Section 114 notices have been issued by local councils since 2018 – declaring themselves effectively bankrupt – compared to just two over the previous 18 years.

“Nottingham was the latest example only last week–some of those will be the result of poor financial decisions, but what we are now seeing is councils struggling due to high inflation, the knock-on effect of rising demand for essential council services, and 13 years of real-terms Government cuts to local authority budgets.

“Ultimately, those Section 114 notices mean that residents in those areas will suffer, with vital services cut back.”

He continued: “By contrast, this Council has successfully delivered nearly £30 million of savings over the past three years.

“Many years of prudent financial planning means we remain in a relatively strong position in Reading to absorb the pressures, in comparison to other councils, while at the same time continuing to invest in modern new facilities for residents through our capital programme.

“The latest forecasts mean we will need to continue to look for new savings, efficiencies, and income, however, in order to set a balanced budget in February, which every council must do by law.”

He said it was unclear whether Government would use this year’s settlement to address the financial pressures by upping council funding

“But the Chancellor’s Autumn statement suggests that remains far from likely– indeed, there seems to be a head-in-the-sand approach coming from Westminster as public services groan under the strain of a faltering economy and failures of public policy.”

Keep up to date by signing up for our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people who have requested it.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Previous Post

Investigation promised into Station Hill fire

Next Post

Theft of caravan from Tidmarsh

FOLLOW US

POPULAR STORIES

  • Young man and woman attacked by group of teenagers in Reading robbery

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Former Reading FC star to be released as free agent by Championship club

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Former Reading FC star to become free agent following Championship relegation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Thousands experience power outage in Reading, not expected to be fixed for hours

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Reading FC group Sell Before We Dai makes generous donation following end of campaign

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

RDG.Today – which is a Social Enterprise – provides Reading Borough with free, independent news coverage.

If you are able, please support our work

Click Here to Support RDG.Today

ABOUT US

Reading Today is dedicated to providing news online across the whole of the Borough of Reading. It is a Social Enterprise, existing to support the various communities in Reading Borough.

CONTACT US

news@wokinghampaper.co.uk

Reading Today Logo

Keep up to date with our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people that have subscribed

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

The Wokingham Paper Ltd publications are regulated by IPSO – the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
If you have a complaint about a  The Wokingham Paper Ltd  publication in print or online, you should, in the first instance, contact the publication concerned, email: editor@wokingham.today, or telephone: 0118 327 2662. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should contact IPSO by telephone: 0300 123 2220, or visit its website: www.ipso.co.uk. Members of the public are welcome to contact IPSO at any time if they are not sure how to proceed, or need advice on how to frame a complaint.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • Central Reading
    • East Reading
    • Bracknell
    • Calcot
    • Caversham
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
  • COMMUNITY
  • SPORT
    • Reading FC
    • Football
    • Rugby
    • Basketball
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • ARTS
    • READING FESTIVAL
    • READING PRIDE
    • WOKINGHAM FESTIVAL
  • PRIDE OF READING
  • OBITUARIES
  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT US
  • SUPPORT US
  • SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
  • WHERE TO GET THE PRINT EDITION

© 2021 - The Wokingham Paper Ltd - All Right Reserved.