Wakefield Council leader urges more government funding as savings plan approved

Wakefield Council has warned of impending financial problems

Local authorities could face financial ruin without improved government funding, a council leader has warned.

Wakefield Council leader Denise Jeffery said central government and the public needed to know the "difficulties" faced by authorities.

Ms Jeffrey said Wakefield could face financial hardship by 2027 without better investment.

Her comments came as senior councillors approved more than £16m in budget saving proposals.

Selling Castleford Civic Centre forms part of the cuts, as does saving £3.5m a year by not filling vacant council jobs.

Ms Jeffrey, leader of the council since 2019, blamed the current economic climate for the local government funding crisis, saying all councils faced "increasing demand and rising costs".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said Wakefield faced a £35m funding gap over the financial year 2023/4, with an £86m shortfall for the five-year period until 2028.

Ms Jeffrey said if the next government did not start supporting local authorities, councils like Wakefield would be in a "much more difficult position".

'Not much left'

In August, nearby Kirklees Council froze non-essential spending to stop a repeat of what happened to Birmingham City Council, which effectively declared itself bankrupt in July.

"Local government needs to be funded properly," Ms Jeffrey said.

"Rather than just expecting us to raise council tax so local residents pay for all the savings, we need to get that funding and get that message across to whoever is in government."

The council said half its budget was now spent on adult social care with an increasing number of vulnerable residents relying on its services.

"After we have looked after children and looked after the elderly, there is not much left for anything else, Ms Jeffrey said.

"People [without caring responsibilities for children and the elderly] resent us not spending money on good things like Christmas lights and Christmas trees."

She added: "We have to get the message across to this government, future governments, and the public.

"It really is a difficult and tough time."

A local government finance settlement announcement for 2024/25 is expected later this month, which some councillors warn is too late for planning.