Cash-strapped Slough Borough Council faces extra £6m in cuts

Slough Borough Council has been limited to spending on essential services only since

A cash-strapped council has revealed it needs to find an extra £6m of cuts.

The government appointed commissioners to address Labour-run Slough Borough Council's money problems in 2021.

It had been tasked with finding £20m of savings in the next financial year but officers have now been told this figure has been revised to £26m, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The authority blamed inflation, rising interest rates, high energy costs and pay increases for the change.

Steven Mair, the council's chief finance officer, said the latest cuts would require "challenging decisions".

"Clearly there are impacts as consequences in making these savings," he said.

"People are trying to be efficient as they are, but I don't wish to diminish the magnitude of the changes and decisions the council will have to make."

The council has been constrained since issuing a section 114 notice, which is considered the local authority equivalent of bankruptcy and means it could only spend on services deemed essential.

Plans have previously been outlined to sell off £600m of property its owns, including a leisure centre, cinema, DIY store, supermarket and warehouse.