More savings needed to balance the books
10/06/2026
The council blames the government for the situation
Another £16m of savings are needed in Oxfordshire County Council’s budget next year if the authority is to balance its books.
That comes on top of the savings it has already committed to achieving this year and the expectation of needing to save even more in 2028-29.
The council blames the government for the situation, following the funding announcement earlier this year. That saw a change to formulas governing the distribution of cash, with some councils receiving more and others less.
This year’s finances are finely balanced with the potential for more savings being needed if inflation in the wider economy or demand for the council’s services increases.
Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, said they wanted to protect frontline services – as far as they could.
He added: “We recognise that there are areas of the country with higher levels of deprivation than our own, and it is right that the people in those places receive the support that they need. However, it is disappointing that councils like Oxfordshire will see real terms reductions in grant funding as a result and it leaves us more exposed when extra pressures arise.
“The government also assumes that we would set Council Tax rises at 4.99 per cent each year giving us no real flexibility locally.”
Later this month the council’s cabinet will receive details of how service pressures of close to £10m were managed last year.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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