Wiltshire Council has confirmed a £4.853 million revenue overspend for the 2024/25 financial year, representing approximately 1% of its net budget.
The overspend, primarily driven by increasing demands and complexities within social care services, particularly adult and children's services, will be addressed through the use of earmarked reserves, subject to approval at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on 24th June.
The council faced significant challenges throughout the year, prompting the implementation of cost-saving measures such as managing vacancies and halting non-essential spending. While these measures mitigated the initial forecast overspend of £8.2 million at the end of the first quarter, pressures persisted, particularly within social care.
Cllr Gavin Grant, Cabinet Member for Finance, emphasised the council's legal obligation to balance its budget annually. "An unexpected, almost £5m deficit, is unwelcome and a challenge," he stated. While acknowledging that utilising reserves is not a long-term solution, he affirmed their purpose in addressing such unforeseen circumstances.
The council is actively exploring strategies to manage social care costs more effectively, focusing on contract efficiency to ensure quality care at a reduced cost. Furthermore, Wiltshire Council plans to enhance financial oversight through a new committee dedicated to scrutinising the budget and ensuring long-term financial stability.
Despite the overspend, the council maintains a relatively strong financial position compared to other local authorities and reports positive results in certain services, including increased income from leisure services and the garden waste collection program.
The Cabinet meeting will also review the Capital Programme outturn for 2024/25, revealing a significant investment of over £177 million. This capital spending aims to enhance council efficiency and generate future cost savings through projects such as affordable housing construction, leisure centre refurbishment, and infrastructure improvements.
Key projects include the A350 bypass scheme, the Fisherton Gateway Scheme, and the Trowbridge/Salisbury Future High Streets Fund projects.
In related news, the council is proposing a further allocation of £0.4 million from the Community Infrastructure Levy strategic fund to Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Groups (LHFIG), doubling the funding to £0.8 million.
This will empower local communities to prioritise and implement improvements such as new crossings, footways, and speed limit adjustments. The agenda for the extraordinary Cabinet meeting on 24th June , including the detailed financial reports, is available on the Wiltshire Council website.
This meeting will be crucial in confirming the balanced budget for the year and outlining strategies for long-term financial sustainability.
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