Stoke-on-Trent City Council today published proposals for a stabilising budget which minimises front-line cuts and maximises efficiency savings.
The plans will allow the council to protect core services which drive forward a new strategic approach – focusing on partnership work and tackling problems at their root – which is already delivering results.
Sustained falls in the number of children in care – after years of increases – are forecast to generate significant savings in coming years.1 In adult social care the council recently hit a target of zero unmet hours – meaning everyone assessed as needing care was getting it.2
The proposed budget follows years of government austerity cuts which mean there is £96.8 million less funding to invest in services in 2024/25 compared to 2010/11. That is a 25.1% reduction, in real terms.
But significant action to trim to the council’s budget last year – together with an ongoing efficiency drive and emergency government support – means the proposed budget for 2025/26 proposes just £1.1 million of savings affecting public-facing services.
It includes a further £6.4 million in efficiencies and savings that do not affect public-facing services, while council managers will be expected to continue to drive down costs through general management actions.
The budget would see one redundancy at this stage, and 20 vacant posts deleted. A small number of other roles may be at risk of redundancy, however through the consultation process it is expected the majority would be offered new roles under restructuring.
The council will now consult on the proposals before bringing them back before councillors later in the year.
Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, warned the financial outlook remained “extremely challenging” despite significant work to improve the council’s position.
The budget includes £16.8 million of exceptional financial support – an emergency loan from the government to help councils struggling with central funding cuts.
As a result of the ongoing financial headwinds, in addition to the savings it is proposed that council tax increases by 4.99%, which includes a social care precept of 2%. That is the equivalent of £1.04 a week for the average council taxpayer in the city.
Rises of this size have become commonplace across local government. Last year, 115 out of 132 unitary, London borough and metropolitan borough councils in England agreed a 4.99% council tax rise.3
Stoke-on-Trent currently has the fifth lowest council tax in England, in terms of the average paid per dwelling, at £1,165 per year.4
Consultation documents released with the proposed budget note “green shoots” for a brighter economic future as a result of the council’s actions and recent central government announcements.
In November, ministers confirmed an increase to the Social Care Grant of £680 million, and a new £600 million Recovery Grant targeted towards councils with greater need.
In December, councils received their provisional financial settlements, with detailed allocations for 2025/26. This suggests Stoke-on-Trent's “core spending power” - the total amount a council has available through revenue grants, council tax and locally-retained business rates - will increase by 8.6% in 2025/26, higher than the average of 6.0% for all English councils.5
Councillor Alastair Watson, cabinet member for financial sustainability and corporate resources at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We are bringing financial stability and clear strategic direction to this council.
“This budget is a step along that path.
“It is important that people understand that, despite some positive signs in the recently-announced local government settlement, the financial circumstances remain extremely challenging.
“A decade of austerity means we have nearly £100 million less to invest in services than we had 15 years ago. Even with the cuts we have already made – and the further cuts we are proposing today – we remain reliant on Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) to balance our budget, which is a legal requirement.
“What is clear is that we are in a much better place than we were this time last year – not just financially, but in terms of the service improvements that the residents of this city need and deserve.”
The budget consultation will run until 10 February 2025. Residents can have their say by visiting stoke.gov.uk/budget2025. They can also write to Budget 2025, c/o Executive Assistant to the Corporate Director of Resources (S151 Officer), Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke ST4 1HH.
The proposals will be discussed at scrutiny meetings before going to the council’s ruling cabinet on 18 February 2025 and full council on 27 February 2025.
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