CABINET chiefs at cash-strapped Coventry City Council are set to consider whether to begin consultation on ‘tough but essential’ budget cuts which may see some streetlights switched off overnight and changes to the Godiva Festival.
Other mooted changes to tackle this ‘financial crisis’ could see the authority begin charging for garden waste collection and introducing the first day-time car parking price hike from Monday to Saturday since 2017.
A report is set to go before the council’s cabinet on Tuesday, December 12, which will ask for the green light to start a consultation on the proposals.
That consultation would run until February 7 before councillors agree on the final 2024/25 budget at the end of that month.
Council chiefs claim they face a £12million funding gap for this financial year, which is set to rise to around £30million for 2024/25.
In August, the authority’s cabinet member for finance, Coun Richard Brown, wrote an open letter pleading with Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove to step in amid fears the council faced the prospect of issuing a Section 114 notice, which would effectively declare them bankrupt.
However, Coun Brown said he was now faced with the reality of making ‘tough but essential’ cuts to fulfil the council’s legal duty of setting a balanced budget while continuing to deliver key services.
He added: “Coventry, like so many other local authorities across the country, is facing very difficult times brought on by years of severe and successive under-funding by the government that is now being exacerbated by unprecedented rising demand and inflationary pressures.
“Since 2010, more than £100million each year has been taken from the Council meaning the city receives one of the lowest funding per head of the population in the country and one of the lowest in the West Midlands.
“That has been added to by issues such as inflation, cost of living rises, the need for extra housing, and increased demand for adults and children’s social care.
“At this point, these are just proposals that we want to take views on. Final decisions will be made in February.
“We have repeatedly called for more help and support – not just to us but for a new way of funding local government as the financial distress of councils in England has its roots in a funding system that is broken.”
