Council eyeing £10m savings

But you won’t be getting a say on them

- Phil Corrigan

CITY council leaders are proposing nearly £10 million of budget savings - but members of the public will not be able to have their say on them.

For the first time in years the council’s draft budget includes no individual savings for public consultation, but it does feature £9.8 million of budget management actions and ‘non-consult savings’.

Council leaders say none of the proposed savings will directly affect frontline services, so do not need to be consulted on. But city residents can have a say on the overall draft budget, which proposes a 4.99 per cent council tax rise.

The council also plans to ask the Government for a further £10.5 million in exceptional financial support (EFS) to balance the budget. This is down on the £16.8 million received last year, but will bring the total by the council since 2024 to nearly £70 million. This money will need to be paid back by the council or whichever unitary authority replaces it following local government reorganisation.