Councils on the brink

Wigan just one of 40

**WIGAN COUNCIL £32M Council was forced to access its reserves in 2021 and since then has faced severe shortfall. The latest figures show a £32million funding gap.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tories-wreck-lives-40-councils-31988687

Probably not enough people doing community service to keep costs down

We always hear the expression “cash strapped councils” and it really annoys me.
They blame Tory cuts, which might be true to some extent, but they do like to make cuts themselves don’t they?
Bolton Council have built over 1000 homes in the Westhoughton area this last 12 months or so, all  of them expensive 3, 4 or 5 bedroom detached houses.
If you say they are at least council band D, but some will be more, that is 1000 x £2200 = £2.2 million per annum, but probably a lot more, and that’s just here in Howfen, how many more houses have they allowed throughout Bolton Borough?
For this additional income they have not put in one new road or improved existing roads or provided extra health, medical or educational provisions.
I bet fellow WP’s members on here can tell tales of similar things in the Wigan area of building going on and nothing given in return.

Much the same here RMJ, A whole new estate built but no new roads. They even took a
section of road used by people parking to look at the views. Still not to worry this provided new residents with a garden and parking.

Birmingham City Council has signed off a wave of cuts to services ahead of a 21% rise in council tax over two years.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-68483264

I expect that more councils will be doing the same