Local authorities in the East Midlands face a collective funding gap of £181m in the next financial year forcing them to cut essential services, according to a report by Unison.
The trade union’s research detailed that in response to the cash crisis, waste collections, leisure centres, nurseries and other vital services will be cut.
It outlined that Derbyshire County Council is set to close eight adult disability centres and seven authority-owned care homes, which will result in over 100 job losses. Nottingham City Council has also earmarked five children’s centres for closure, closed a leisure centre and cancelled this year’s Bonfire night and fireworks display.
Rachel Hodson, Unison East Midlands’ head of local government, said: “Cash-strapped councils are having to resort to ever-more desperate measures after years of austerity just to keep services going. Now the government looks set to make their predicament infinitely worse with emergency cuts to spending following the mini-budget fiasco.
“I have written to all the region’s Conservative MPs to ask them to sort the crisis in local government funding and give councils the cash they need to save services.”
Unison’s report also found that the cumulative funding gap could rise even further in 2024/25 to over £360m across the 40 councils in the East Midlands. It said that this estimated figure could be much higher due to skyrocketing inflation, energy costs and the economic impact of the mini-budget.
The research outlined that Leicester City Council is set to have the largest funding gap out of all the authorities in the region, with a financing deficit of £48.3m. Leicester is followed by North Northamptonshire Council and Derbyshire County Council with respective funding shortfalls of £25.1m and £19m.
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