Council on course to overspend, council chiefs say

The council is on course to spend about £32 million more than it can budget for

"Years of neglect" and national challenges mean a council is on course to spend almost £32m more than it can budget for in four years’ time, council chiefs said.

Slough Borough Council is heading for an overspend of £31.9m in the 2028-2029 financial year – and £15m this year - according to a report.

Conservative councillor Wal Chahal, responsible for finance, said it would "take time to put things right" after previous Labour administrations.

But Annabel Scholes, council director for finance, said Slough had faced similar financial challenges to local authorities across the country.

In 2021, the council was forced to declare bankruptcy having accrued £760m in borrowing debt.

This year’s budget was set in March and included £10.4m to address overspending in the previous year – mostly in adult social care and temporary accommodation.

Now the council has said costs in these areas have continued to rise, taking the additional money required up to £11.6m.

On top of this the council said a review of this year’s spending plan has found £4.19m of extra costs it had not originally budgeted for.

Forecasts also suggest the council will need to find £21.6m of savings next year, £22.7m in 2026-2027, and £30.1m in 2027-2028.

Mr Chahal said "years of neglect" over council spending meant it would "take time to put things right".

Ms Scholes said: “Some of these things that councillor Chahal has highlighted are national issues. They are things that we are seeing from colleagues in neighbouring authorities.”

She added that council staff were "looking at absolutely every option" to bring the overspend down.