Council Budget 2021-22

Consultation has concluded

The Budget Consultation report has been published in the Documents section of this webpage. Thank you for your contributions. The report will help councillors make their decisions on final recommendations for the council budget 2021-22 at the full Council meeting in March 2021.

This coming year Wirral Council continues to face financial challenges which have been made more severe by the Covid-19 pandemic. Current figures indicate the authority needs to make savings in the region of £16.5m – a budget gap largely caused by the cost of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Failure to make these budget savings will mean the council’s expenditure will exceed its income, which is illegal.

The council has a legal obligation to set a balanced budget for the next financial year. Last year a balanced budget had been set, based on the expectation the authority could make a number of savings. However, the requirement on the council to urgently respond to the impact of Covid-19 throughout most of 2020 meant much of these savings could not be achieved.

Additional government funding has been made available through the year, but it is estimated that this will not fully meet the additional costs which have been borne by the council through 2020. The government has been asked to approve capitalisation of some additional costs which the council has had this year – and if agreed this will go some way to helping.

We would like you to tell us what you think about options for Wirral Council’s Budget 2021-22. Further detail on these options can be viewed in the Budget Booklet in the Documents section.

You can complete the survey and use the Ideas Board to give us your own feedback and ideas about the Council Budget. In January we will be holding online events to discuss the budget options so if you have any questions you would like to be heard at those events please let us know. The events will be held online through Microsoft Teams on Thursday 14 January.

Following the consultation, your feedback will be considered by the Policy and Resources Committee which will decide on a set of budget proposals to be recommended to the full council which takes place in March 2021. The full council will have the final say on the authority’s budget for the next year.

The Budget Consultation report has been published in the Documents section of this webpage. Thank you for your contributions. The report will help councillors make their decisions on final recommendations for the council budget 2021-22 at the full Council meeting in March 2021.

This coming year Wirral Council continues to face financial challenges which have been made more severe by the Covid-19 pandemic. Current figures indicate the authority needs to make savings in the region of £16.5m – a budget gap largely caused by the cost of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Failure to make these budget savings will mean the council’s expenditure will exceed its income, which is illegal.

The council has a legal obligation to set a balanced budget for the next financial year. Last year a balanced budget had been set, based on the expectation the authority could make a number of savings. However, the requirement on the council to urgently respond to the impact of Covid-19 throughout most of 2020 meant much of these savings could not be achieved.

Additional government funding has been made available through the year, but it is estimated that this will not fully meet the additional costs which have been borne by the council through 2020. The government has been asked to approve capitalisation of some additional costs which the council has had this year – and if agreed this will go some way to helping.

We would like you to tell us what you think about options for Wirral Council’s Budget 2021-22. Further detail on these options can be viewed in the Budget Booklet in the Documents section.

You can complete the survey and use the Ideas Board to give us your own feedback and ideas about the Council Budget. In January we will be holding online events to discuss the budget options so if you have any questions you would like to be heard at those events please let us know. The events will be held online through Microsoft Teams on Thursday 14 January.

Following the consultation, your feedback will be considered by the Policy and Resources Committee which will decide on a set of budget proposals to be recommended to the full council which takes place in March 2021. The full council will have the final say on the authority’s budget for the next year.