Bradford Council has set out proposals to cut more than 100 jobs and axe funding to leisure services as it tackles an uncertain financial outlook.
Ahead of a meeting of Bradford’s Executive Committee next week, the council has outlined several savings proposals for the 2024/25 financial year as part of a three-year £40m cost-cutting programme, which includes 113 staff redundancies and £60m of asset disposals.
The council has also proposed closing a children’s outdoor centre, closing three household waste recycling sites, cutting funding to libraries and leisure services, and increasing council tax to 4.99%.
These proposals come as Bradford reported at the end of last year that it faced a structural budget gap of £120m in 2023/24, inclusive of a £73m overspend on a budget that already includes the use of £48m of one-off reserves.
As a result of the council’s financial situation, Bradford warned that it would be forced to issue a section 114 notice if it did not receive exceptional financial support (EFS) from central government amounting to around £58m.
In addition, a report outlining the new proposals added that EFS will also be required to balance Bradford’s 2024/25 budget.
Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council’s leader, said: “The demand for, and cost of, providing residential placements and home to school transport is unsustainable for many councils on top of the effects of inflation and reductions in central government funding since 2011.
“I am asking government to fix the dysfunctional children’s social care market and fund local services effectively so that we can continue building a future that enables everyone in the Bradford district to make the best of opportunities available to them here.”
Adult and children’s social care pressures
According to the council, Bradford’s financial situation is largely due to the continued increases in children’s and adult social care demand and cost pressures, with the authority’s projected spend on the services being equivalent to 87% of the budget agreed for 2023/24.
In addition, children’s social care delivered by the Bradford Children and Families Trust (BCFT) is currently forecast to spend equivalent to half of the authority’s net budget this year.
Bradford Council is actively engaging with the Department for Education and BCFT to reduce the rising cost of children’s services and ensure an adequate amount of financial support.
Since 2011, Bradford Council has had to find over £350m in cuts and savings due to national austerity measures, inflation and increased demand. This has also significantly impacted the authority’s reserves, with Bradford using £110m in 2022/23 and underpinning £48m for 2023/24.
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