Brighton council publishes plan to avoid bankruptcy

The budget will be debated by all councillors at Hove Town Hall

A council has unveiled a plan it hopes will help it avoid effective bankruptcy and deliver a balanced budget.

Brighton and Hove Council published the plan after previously predicting an overspend of almost £15m, with a budget gap of more than £30m.

The council said a savings package of nearly £24m would enable it to set a balanced budget for 2024-25.

Finance lead Jacob Taylor said it had been "the most difficult budget to set in council history".

Council leader Bella Sankey added: "It is really important that this council, through careful planning and financial management, has proposed a balanced budget for next year that would avoid effective bankruptcy."

Ms Sankey said the authority had had to propose "significant savings" to avoid having to call in government commissioners.

A proposed 4.99% council tax increase to meet pressures, including a 2% ring-fenced precept to respond to the increasing costs of adult social care, is outlined in the proposals.

However, a council tax reduction scheme will be maintained for more than 19,000 households on low incomes along with care-leavers.

The proposals also outline how the authority will streamline management and ways of working, in order to save £2.4m and improve how it delivers services.

Capital investment in infrastructure projects including bus network improvements, tree replacement programmes, playground refurbishments and new swimming and leisure facilities, are all also included in the proposals.

The budget will be debated by all councillors on 22 February.

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