£6.7 million overspend forecast at Wiltshire Council

Wiltshire Council is forecasting a £6.7 million budget overspend by the end of the financial year, members will be told this week.

The council’s Cabinet will hear on Wednesday, September 16 that the spiralling cost of looking after vulnerable adults and children is a major contributor to the problem.

Increased staffing costs are also weighing heavily on council finances.

A report to councillors says an £688,000 overspend in adult social care is due to the complex needs of some residents supported by the council.

“This includes young people as they transition from children to adult social care; people with complex autism and learning disabilities; and older people with dementia and other health-related issues,” says the report.

The overspend in children’s services and education is forecast to be £948,000.

“Where eligible, children and young people aged 5-16 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are entitled to free home-to-school transport.

“Forecast expenditure is currently £0.369 million above budget,” says the report.

In transport and highways, which is forecast to overspend by £458,000, “additional pressures relate to Traffic Regulation Order advertising and consultancy costs for site inspections, technical checks and drainage application reviews.”

The report adds: “Historic plans to introduce advertising on bus shelters have not come to fruition, making the £0.100m income target associated with this undeliverable.”

And in the waste division, the forecast overspend is £854,000, with a mechanical breakdown at the waste sorting facility in Westbury in July cited as a significant contributing factor.

Asked why taxpayers were being asked to foot the bill for a malfunction suffered by a private operator, Sarah Valdus, director for waste at Wiltshire Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The forecast £854,000 landfill tax overspend covers more than July’s shutdown at the Westbury waste treatment facility.

“It also includes further waste expected to go to landfill during planned and unplanned maintenance at Westbury and the Lakeside energy-from-waste facility over the rest of the year.

“The council pays landfill tax and disposal charges when waste is diverted to landfill, instead of paying Hills the fee for processing for that waste.”

A projected overspend of £2.95 million in the council’s corporate costs is “due to some planned savings proving difficult to deliver and higher financing costs, adding further pressure to the council’s budget.”

The Local Government Pay Award for council staff of 3.3 per cent, which was confirmed in August, was higher than the three per cent the council had budgeted for.

The council has also given an update on its savings programme performance. It set a savings target of £27.7 million in 2026/27 – the largest in the council’s history.

So far, more than £9.5 million of savings have already been delivered, with a further £10.2 million expected to be achieved.

However, the council says there is some uncertainty around whether the remaining £8 million of identified savings can be fully delivered this year.

Gavin Grant, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for finance, said: “In recent years, the council’s quarter one position has often included a forecast overspend, so while we’re certainly not comfortable with this position, and are in no way complacent about it, we know forecasts can and do change throughout the year as we maintain a strong focus on our finances.

“An overspend, whether forecast or actual, is something we take very seriously, and my Cabinet colleagues and I will continue to work closely with senior officers and our hardworking staff to drive financial improvements.

“There are areas where we can and will do better.”

The projected overspend represents 1.2 per cent of the council’s £568 million budget.