BCP Council’s leader has urged the government to use this week’s spending review to address long-standing local government funding issues, highlighting a growing crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.
Cllr Millie Earl said councils had been left in a difficult position after more than 15 years of cuts, with many struggling to balance their budgets while demand for services continues to rise.
She described the spending review taking place on Wednesday as a “clear opportunity” for the government to support councils and help them deliver essential local services.
“Councils, including BCP, have been forced to take decisions they don’t want to make as they prioritise the services that must be delivered by law,” she said.
Cllr Earl called for a real-terms increase in council funding, and warned that the biggest pressure in BCP Council’s finances was the rising cost of supporting children with SEND.
“The most pressing need of all is to find a solution to the funding of our SEND services,” she said. “This challenge cannot be ignored any longer as doing so simply undermines local government’s ability to plot a stable financial future for themselves and their residents.”
The council said it remains committed to protecting its most vulnerable residents, but that further cuts could impact the level of service across areas such as care, education and public safety.
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