Title

FINANCE

Brum proposes £300m cuts

Cash-strapped Birmingham City Council will cut spending on services by £300m to balance its books.

Cash-strapped Birmingham City Council will cut spending on services by £300m to balance its books.

The UK's biggest local authority will also hike council tax by 21% over the next two years from April, according to its budget proposals for 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Documents released by Birmingham alongside the budget proposals confirmed the Government has approved £1.25bn of exceptional financial support – in the form of loans that must be paid back partly through asset sales.

Council leader John Cotton apologised ‘unreservedly' for the spending reductions and council tax increase.

He said: ‘We have no alternative than to face these challenges head on and we will do whatever is necessary to put the council back on a sound financial footing.'

The local authority has warned that up to 600 posts may be axed.

Birmingham was forced to issue a section 114 notice in September.

The council is facing liabilities for equal pay claims of nearly £800m.

FINANCE

Putting procurement spending to the test

By Mo Baines | 08 August 2025

Mo Baines sets out the questions public contracting authorities should ask before deciding on a delivery model for services, using a Public Interest Test

FINANCE

Barnet has housebuilding nailed

By Cath Shaw | 08 August 2025

Barnet is one of the few London boroughs to hit its housing growth targets and its £8bn Brent Cross Town scheme is delivering one of the most ambitious devel...

FINANCE

Shifting the presssure

By Martin Ford | 07 August 2025

With consultation set to close on the fair funding review, Martin Ford looks at the challenges faced by those tasked with ensuring the new system helps strug...

FINANCE

Fears fair funding could trigger section 114 notices

By Martin Ford | 07 August 2025

Fears councils may be forced into issuing section 114 notices by the fair funding review have been voiced as the consultation deadline approaches.

Popular articles by William Eichler