URL: https://councillors.knowsley.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=8038

Decision Maker:

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose:

Content: The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director (Resources), which set out a forecast of the 2025/26 year-end budget monitoring position based on information as at 31 December 2025.   Councillor Mrs J Lonergan, Cabinet Member for Resources, reported that increased demand, need and costs continued to have a significant impact on the provision of essential public services by all local authorities. In this respect, Councillor Lonergan reported that the Council’s current forecasts estimated a deficit on service budgets of £7.039m, which represented 3% of total service budgets. Councillor Lonergan highlighted that the service deficit had been largely due to continued pressures in Children’s Social Care and Home to School Transport.   Councillor Lonergan reported that there had been an improvement since mid-year and this had been as a result of the strong actions being taken by the Council to control expenditure. In this respect, the Council still expected to report a balanced budget at the end of the year.   Councillor Lonergan highlighted that the pressures in Social Care would  keep growing in the coming years, and the Council needed to do all it could to reduce demand, and to reduce the rising costs faced by the Council.               RESOLVED – That:-   (i)             the latest 2025/26 budget monitoring position for the Council as set out in this report be noted; and,   (ii)            the forecast allocation of one-off resources to fund the 2025/26 deficit as set out in section 9 of this report be endorsed.   (Note:  That in accordance with the provisions of Section 28(2) of the Localism Act 2011, and the Council’s Code of Conduct for Elected and Co-opted Members, Councillor Mrs D Arnall declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in the above item but, having received a dispensation from the Monitoring Officer, remained in the meeting, took part in the discussion and voted thereon.)  

Date of Decision: February 11, 2026