Plymouth City Council considers cuts to plug £37m budget hole

The council blamed inflation, rising energy costs and increased demand for social care for the shortfall in its budget in 2023/2024

Plymouth City Council is considering an "urgent package of measures" to address an "unprecedented" £37m budget hole.

The authority said a number of proposals had been presented to its cabinet to help find savings and generate new revenue.

Suggestions include a 10% increase to fees and a charge for garden waste.

The council blamed inflation, rising energy costs and increased demand for social care for the shortfall in its budget in 2023/2024.

The council said it also faced a £15.5m gap in this year's budget - because of the same reasons.

Increases to parking fees, ways to reduce demand on adult social care, vacating some of its buildings earlier than planned and reducing subsidies for bus services are among the proposals.

However, the council will still be left with a £11.4m shortfall in its finances even if all of the recommended savings are approved.

'Making difficult decisions'

Council leader Richard Bingley said: "We are leaving no stone unturned to identify ways of reducing costs and are determined to protect local services as best we can, particularly those that support the most vulnerable in our community.

"We are doing this in an urgent but considered way and our recovery plan is focusing on modernising, generating income, increasing efficiency and making difficult decisions to change, pause or stop things.

"Reducing local services is the very last thing any of us came into public service to do but we simply can't duck our responsibility to make unpalatable decisions.

"The consequences of not being able to set a balanced budget would be catastrophic for our city."

The council is asking for feedback on the proposals before next year's budget is set in February.

The proposals being considered by cabinet include:

• Introducing charges for collecting garden waste - the council says Plymouth is one of the few authorities remaining not to already charge for this non-statutory service

• Increasing fees and charges by 10% this year and next year

• Increasing parking fees in line with proposals recently consulted on

• Reducing costs in children's social care, including working with families to keep more children at home, reducing the use of residential care and reviewing organisational structures

• Managing and reducing demand on adult social care

• Reviewing early help provision and children's centres, alongside partners

• Reducing subsidies for bus services that cannot be run commercially

• Reviewing senior management

• Vacating buildings earlier than planned