Bolton Council has set out how it will continue providing vital frontline services despite the ongoing financial challenges facing local authorities across the UK.
The council has published its four-year Medium Term Financial Plan which highlights many of these challenges, including continued demand on social care, uncertainty over funding allocations and geopolitical events putting large capital projects at risk of overspend.
The plan will now be considered at a meeting of the council’s cabinet on November 11.
The recent LGA Corporate Peer Challenge review found that Bolton is in a strong financial position relative to other local authorities.
However, the Medium Term Financial Plan makes clear that some difficult decisions will still be needed in order to protect essential frontline services.
The report details the requirement to make £30m of cuts over the next four years with £8.2m to come over the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years.
A more detailed report setting out the budget proposals for 2025-27 will be considered by the cabinet in December ahead of a full consultation.
Bolton Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Akhtar Zaman, said:
“This report details how this council has seen £229m of cuts since 2010, and these remain incredibly challenging times for local government finances.
“However, in that time we have always made sure to protect the services that our most vulnerable adults, children and families rely on, and we will continue to do so.
“Meanwhile, we are working hard to regenerate our town centres, boost the local economy and attract new businesses, all of which will bring in more income for the council.”