Council Budget 2022-23

This survey has now closed. Thank you for your responses. The consultation findings are included in the Budget 2022-23 Consultation Report published in the Document Section of this page.

Wirral: Your council, your voice – help set the budget for 2022-23

Wirral Council is moving ahead with setting a budget for the next financial year, 2022-23, as the borough continues to battle the impact of COVID-19.

The authority faces a potential budget gap of around £30m, under the latest cautious forecast, between funding (from council tax, fees and grants) and the cost of providing services at the current level.

As part of the budget process the authority’s Policy and Resources committee agreed to ask for the views of residents, businesses, and all those with a stake in the future of Wirral, about what council services matter to them most to help develop the budget plan.

Please use the ‘ideas board’ and the questionnaire below to help us understand what your priorities are, and if you have any suggestions on what else could be done to bridge the budget gap then please use this opportunity to let us know. An Easy Read version of the questionnaire is available to download from the Documents Section on this page.

A Budget Booklet is included in the Documents section on this page, which can be downloaded, providing background information and summary details.

It is calculated that it will cost £329.4 million to deliver council services in the coming year, based on last year’s costs. At present, like all local authorities, Wirral Council is awaiting the detailed Government announcement on funding for next year and is working on budget setting based on a range of options.

Following the announcements in the Chancellors budget, the most optimistic scenario currently being modelled is based on funding for the council totalling £321.37 million and budget pressures (extra costs/savings which cannot be implemented) of £16.41 million, which taking into account other factors such as savings by the council of £13.93 million, would leave a small deficit budget of £2m. A mid-range budget scenario modelled would still see a gap in the budget of £11.64 million.

However, preparations have to be made for the worst case scenario. This is based on a much lower level of funding of £312.93 million, potential pressures of £29.9 million, and fewer savings in council spending, at £10.48 million. It would see a budget gap of up to £29.34 million, and would require significant savings by the council.

This modelling means that whatever the actual outcome, the council will be ready to make any necessary savings to deliver a legal balanced budget, which must be set to allow for the continued provision of the vital frontline services residents and businesses depend upon.

In the meantime, the council has already been working on short and long-term measures to keep costs down and bring more income to the authority. In areas such as adult social care, which faces increasing demand for services, these range from supporting development of extra-care housing to help older people stay in their own accommodation for longer, therefore delaying their need for expensive residential care, to better use of technology and remote monitoring to enable more people to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

Elsewhere the authority has been bringing in more preventative work, such as in Children’s Services, to try to reduce the need for repeated interventions for troubled families, and broader efforts to modernise and evolve the services right across the authority to meet the borough’s changing needs.

As well as improving, re-thinking and updating the services it provides to residents the authority is also modernising and improving its ‘back office’ systems to increase efficiency and ensure it can better deliver the services residents expect.

To make the best budget we can for the borough we need as many people as possible, with different backgrounds, ages and views, to tell us what matters and have their say on the budget for the coming year.

At this point no decisions have been made on the budget, and it is vital that as many people as possible with a stake in Wirral’s future use this opportunity and through the questionnaire tell us what their priorities are, what services matter most to them, and where they believe the council should be focusing its efforts.

The public consultation took take place over four weeks, from 2nd - 28th November and is now concluded.

Following this the responses will be analysed and used to inform the final budget options. A report outlining the outcome of the consultation along with budget proposals for 2022-23 will be brought forward in early 2022.

This survey has now closed. Thank you for your responses. The consultation findings are included in the Budget 2022-23 Consultation Report published in the Document Section of this page.

Wirral: Your council, your voice – help set the budget for 2022-23

Wirral Council is moving ahead with setting a budget for the next financial year, 2022-23, as the borough continues to battle the impact of COVID-19.

The authority faces a potential budget gap of around £30m, under the latest cautious forecast, between funding (from council tax, fees and grants) and the cost of providing services at the current level.

As part of the budget process the authority’s Policy and Resources committee agreed to ask for the views of residents, businesses, and all those with a stake in the future of Wirral, about what council services matter to them most to help develop the budget plan.

Please use the ‘ideas board’ and the questionnaire below to help us understand what your priorities are, and if you have any suggestions on what else could be done to bridge the budget gap then please use this opportunity to let us know. An Easy Read version of the questionnaire is available to download from the Documents Section on this page.

A Budget Booklet is included in the Documents section on this page, which can be downloaded, providing background information and summary details.

It is calculated that it will cost £329.4 million to deliver council services in the coming year, based on last year’s costs. At present, like all local authorities, Wirral Council is awaiting the detailed Government announcement on funding for next year and is working on budget setting based on a range of options.

Following the announcements in the Chancellors budget, the most optimistic scenario currently being modelled is based on funding for the council totalling £321.37 million and budget pressures (extra costs/savings which cannot be implemented) of £16.41 million, which taking into account other factors such as savings by the council of £13.93 million, would leave a small deficit budget of £2m. A mid-range budget scenario modelled would still see a gap in the budget of £11.64 million.

However, preparations have to be made for the worst case scenario. This is based on a much lower level of funding of £312.93 million, potential pressures of £29.9 million, and fewer savings in council spending, at £10.48 million. It would see a budget gap of up to £29.34 million, and would require significant savings by the council.

This modelling means that whatever the actual outcome, the council will be ready to make any necessary savings to deliver a legal balanced budget, which must be set to allow for the continued provision of the vital frontline services residents and businesses depend upon.

In the meantime, the council has already been working on short and long-term measures to keep costs down and bring more income to the authority. In areas such as adult social care, which faces increasing demand for services, these range from supporting development of extra-care housing to help older people stay in their own accommodation for longer, therefore delaying their need for expensive residential care, to better use of technology and remote monitoring to enable more people to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

Elsewhere the authority has been bringing in more preventative work, such as in Children’s Services, to try to reduce the need for repeated interventions for troubled families, and broader efforts to modernise and evolve the services right across the authority to meet the borough’s changing needs.

As well as improving, re-thinking and updating the services it provides to residents the authority is also modernising and improving its ‘back office’ systems to increase efficiency and ensure it can better deliver the services residents expect.

To make the best budget we can for the borough we need as many people as possible, with different backgrounds, ages and views, to tell us what matters and have their say on the budget for the coming year.

At this point no decisions have been made on the budget, and it is vital that as many people as possible with a stake in Wirral’s future use this opportunity and through the questionnaire tell us what their priorities are, what services matter most to them, and where they believe the council should be focusing its efforts.

The public consultation took take place over four weeks, from 2nd - 28th November and is now concluded.

Following this the responses will be analysed and used to inform the final budget options. A report outlining the outcome of the consultation along with budget proposals for 2022-23 will be brought forward in early 2022.

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Council Budget 2022-23

    As we hopefully move on from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic it is so important that we keep our focus on ensuring the council is in a financially sound position to deliver for the people of Wirral.

    We can only help those who need it with a legal, balanced budget.  This would allow us to continue to provide the vital frontline services residents and businesses depend upon as well as protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities. We need to press ahead with much-needed regeneration which will generate jobs and prosperity for the people of Wirral in the future.  

    To help put together the best budget we can for the borough we need as many people as possible, with different backgrounds, ages, and views, to tell us what matters. We want you to have your say on the budget for the coming year and share your ideas on how the council can bridge the budget gap. 

Page last updated: 12 Jan 2022, 10:45 AM