Luton council appeals to government amid £10m overspend

Luton Borough Council has called on the government for help amid a predicted overspend

A council has called on the government for help as it expects to overspend its budget by £10m.

Luton Borough Council said it was "under immense strain" as about £160m had been taken from its budget in the last 12 years.

Council leader Hazel Simmons said it was becoming "more expensive" to provide "services that people need".

A government spokeswoman said it was working with councils to understand the impact of inflation on their budgets.

Ms Simmons said: "We know how much the cost of living crisis is impacting the lives of many Luton residents and it's only going to get worse.

"In the same way households are struggling with rising costs, it's also becoming more expensive for the council to provide the services that people need.

"This comes at a time when our budgets are under immense strain already, with savings required previously because of the impact of the pandemic and austerity."

Councillor Robert Roche said help was needed as "the people of Luton are struggling"

Labour councillor and portfolio holder for finance, Robert Roche, said he felt "angry" about the situation.

"I care a lot about the people of Luton and I can see we've got a struggle on our hands here and I don't know how we are going to deal with it," he said.

"People are really struggling and as a council we want to help and support them but without the government's support we can't do that."

Aimee Djengiz said Tokko was working with other organisations to meet the needs of young people

Aimee Djengiz is the chief executive of Tokko, a youth centre which provides a range of activities and services, including counselling and mentoring, in Luton.

As energy costs at the centre have increased, so has demand for its services.

Ms Djengiz said she was "worried about the future of the children and young people of Luton".

"Young people without a safe space will find themselves further declining, poor mental health, unable to access support, become isolated - and it's going to have a huge knock-on effect on their wellbeing and the future of Luton as a whole," she said.

Ms Simmons called on the government for help amid the predicted overspend.

"We're having to put a recovery plan in place now, as this year's budget is forecast to be £10m overspent," she said.

"Now we're being forced into further difficult decisions, which feels like punishing our communities at a time when they're suffering so much and need us more than ever.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "We are working with councils to understand the impact inflation will have on their budgets and stand ready to speak to any council that has concerns.

"Councils in the East of England will have access to an additional £380.7m this year, with a total spending power of over £5.54bn."