Councillors in Wirral have set a balanced budget for the next year after securing a bailout from the government and agreeing to increase council tax by 4.99 per cent.
The council has received what is known as ‘exceptional financial support’ from Whitehall after warning that it needed help.
It says its precarious financial position is largely due to overspends in children’s and adults social care, exacerbated by rises in the cost of care packages for young people, and growing demand for assistance for older people.
It had asked for a total of £40 million over two years, but has been awarded £27.5 million to balance the budget and fund one-off changes such as making staff redundant.
It needs to deliver around £25 million of savings, which will include cuts to services and raising fees and charges.
Areas set to be hit include leisure centres and libraries, with leisure services having to make a £2 million saving this coming year, and £175k needing to be cut from the libraries budget.
The budget options report does not identify exactly where the axe will fall, but contains references to “modernising the Council’s existing leisure offer”, and using a “hub” approach to delivering libraries, as well as more use of digital technology. Birkenhead Town Hall will also close, with services shifted to Wallasey.
Council Leader, Cllr Paul Stuart told a meeting of councillors: “Like councils across the country, we face an extremely challenging financial landscape. Rising demand for adult and children’s social care, inflationary pressures, and increasing costs continue to strain local government budgets significantly.
“However, despite these difficulties, we are making progress. Through responsible leadership across all committees, working together, and financial discipline, this Council has worked hard to stabilise our finances, protect frontline services, and invest in the long-term future of Wirral.”
Cllr Stuart – who will stand down as leader in May – was keen to point out that the council has been able to open 11 Family Hubs to support families, is providing better local care for looked-after children and is moving forward with the regeneration of Birkenhead and Liscard.
He added: “These are just a few of the many achievements that are testament to our council staff’s dedication and hard work. They prioritise the needs of our residents and showcase the significant impact of our efforts—not just on budgets but on the lives of the people we serve.
“Difficult decisions are necessary, but they must be made responsibly, collaboratively, and with Wirral’s best interests at heart.”
The budget sets the Wirral Council Tax bill to increase by 2.99% plus an additional 2% ringfenced to help fund Adult Social Care, as well as contributions to Merseyside Police, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Merseyside Fire and Rescue.