Peterborough City Council launches Shape Our City consultation to resolve £24 million budget gap
Services are under pressure
An appeal has gone out to residents, businesses and other groups in Peterborough to help shape the city as council leaders struggle to close a feared £24.3 million budget gap.
The plea comes from Peterborough City Council which has today (September 18) launched a public consultation about its spending priorities.
The six-week-long consultation, called Shaping our City, will feature a series of public meetings taking place in venues across the city.
It comes after council finance chiefs predicted a budget gap for the next financial year, 2024/25, that will range between £13.3 million and £24.3 million.
They say the challenges facing local government are becoming increasingly difficult and in particular blame the huge financial strain caused by rising demand for services and interest rates remaining high.
What are the challenges?
- The number of homeless people in need of housing support rose 40 per cent from an average of 51 a week in 2021/22 to 70 a week in 2023/24
- The home to school transport budget is set to be exceeded by £1.1 million due to increasing numbers of children with special education needs and disabilities who require transport
- Adult social care received 2,580 new requests for support in the last 12 months - 18 per cent more than the previous 12 months
- The number of children subject to a care plan has doubled since last year (277 in March 2024, 136 in March 2023)
- High interest rates means the council is refinancing debt at much higher rates, which is costing an extra £2.5 million each year
What are the politicians saying?
Councillor Mohammed Jamil, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Governance, said: “The council is currently facing an in-year overspend of around £10 million and we are estimating that the budget gap in 2025/26 could range between £13.2m and £24.3m.
"This means that the council needs to be more precise about how it spends its limited budget and be clear with residents about where our focus will be placed over the next three years.
“ In fact, we will be as bold to say that due to our funding pressures, we cannot deliver everything we used to.”
Councillor Dennis Jones, council leader, said: “We cannot continue to provide the same services that we always have.
“This consultation is a chance to have your say on our draft priorities and to also learn more about our financial position.
“Please get involved, your views will then be considered by Cabinet at a meeting in December as part of the process to agree our new Corporate Strategy and our budget for 2025/26 and beyond.”
How do I have my say?
The consultation runs until October 28
Complete the survey here
Or attend a consultation event:
September 24: 6pm to 8pm: Arthur Mellows Village College, Glinton
October 2: 7pm to 9pm: Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) Peterborough Campus
October 3: 6pm to 8pm - this session will take place online - further details to follow
October 7: 7pm to 9pm: Wellsprings Community Church, The Alpha Centre, Bretton
October 8: 7pm to 9pm: CSK Hampton Church, Hampton Centre
October 14: 7pm to 9pm: Focus Community Centre, Dogsthorpe
October 21: 7pm to 9pm: Salvation Army Citadel, Bourges Boulevard, New England
October 22: 7pm to 9pm: Ormiston Bushfield Academy, Orton
October 23: 7pm to 9pm: Stanground Academy, Stanground