First look at £150m of cuts planned by council

Birmingham City Council has revealed where the first big cuts might land

Children’s services in Birmingham are set to face the biggest financial hit as the city council tries to plug a £300m budget gap.

A document outlining an initial £150m of proposed savings has been published on the authority’s website ahead of setting a final budget in February.

Headline figures show savings of £57m planned for the children and families department. City operations, which looks after things like highways and bins, is due to take the next largest cut of £29m.

Council management is also due to receive a 50% budget decrease of about £15.6m.

It is the first time details of where cuts might happen has been revealed publicly.

But the document makes clear the list “does not constitute the full and final list of savings expected to come forward for delivery in 2024-25”, and clarifies that the plans could still change.

Children's services are lined up to take the biggest financial hit.

The council effectively declared itself bankrupt in September as it faced the dual challenge of an equal pay liability of £760m and an £80m overspend on an IT project.

On Tuesday it was confirmed the council would write to the government to ask for permission to raise council tax by more than the 4.99% limit without holding a referendum.

Other savings listed in the document include £21m from Adult Social Care, £9m from the property and transport department, £8.5m through things like contract savings and using digital tools, £5.8m from the housing management and homelessness budget and £2.6m from areas such as public health, the communications team and chief executive’s office.