Bristol City Council could face £88m shortfall

Bristol City Council officials had already identified a £31m funding gap for 2023

A "worst case scenario" could see a council face a funding shortfall of up to £87.6m within five years.

Bristol City Council officials had already identified a £31m funding gap for 2023, fuelled by rising costs, a rise in demand and inflation.

A new worst case scenario is double that at £62m, taking into account costs and inflation.

The mayor said the council would need to "change the way we do things" in some services.

The report suggests the shortfall could rise to £87.6m in 2027/28, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

It also gave a best case scenario for the deficit of £13m for the 12 months from April 2023, remaining stable until hitting a high of £14m in five years.

The report said the shortfall posed a "financial risk to a range of services across the council" including adult and children's social care services, energy prices, rising fuel and labour costs and waste management contracts.

Marvin Rees previously said the authority would need to "change the way we do things" in some core services to "focus attention on those who need support most".

The council will consider the budget in February and there will be a public consultation on cuts to services ahead of that.