Council predicts £14.9m overspend to cover adult social care, children’s services and school transport

NNC’s leadership says action is being taken to reduce pressures with an ‘extensive transformation programme designed to improve efficiency, modernise services and support long-term financial sustainability’.

The Reform UK executive is also calling for a funding system that better ‘reflects the growing demands facing local authorities’, as it continues to take ‘decisive action to strengthen its financial position’ and ‘modernise services for residents’.

Council Leader Cllr Martin Griffiths said: “North Northamptonshire Council is taking responsibility for the challenges in front of us and we're acting now to address them. But it is equally important to recognise that councils across the country are facing the same pressures.

“Demand for social care, children’s services and specialist transport has risen dramatically in recent years.

“Local government funding needs to reflect that reality. We want to work with Government on a sustainable long-term solution in these demand-led service areas that gives councils the certainty they need to protect services and support residents.”

In February this year Reform UK increased the Council Tax rate by the maximum 4.99 per cent, including two per cent for the adult social care precept.

Back in January 2024, when Cllr Griffiths was an independent member of the council, after leaving the Conservative Party, he criticised the then Conservative-ruled NNC and leader Jason Smithers for blaming ‘lack of government funding’.

He had said: “We need to be more honest with the public on the financial challenges especially as council tax is being increased by the maximum permitted by government.

“It is interesting that Cllr Smithers appears to be blaming lack of government funding, and appealing directly to the Secretary of State, in the same way as the former county council leader Heather Smith did back in 2018 when he first became a county councillor.

“Cllr Smithers was hugely critical of the leadership back then and now the chickens have clearly come home to roost.

“What is required is innovative ground-breaking transformation of services, especially in the big spending areas like adult social care and children’s services and his out of touch Conservative cabinet need to get a grip and concentrate less on vanity projects to garner popularity.”

A financial monitoring report for the first quarter of 2026-27 to be considered by the executive highlights the significant pressures being experienced across local government.

NNC deputy leader and executive member for finance Cllr Graham Cheatley said: “The quarter one position reflects the significant demand-led pressures that councils everywhere continue to face, but it is important to remember that this is an early forecast and a great deal of work is already under way with the aim to improve the position.

“Our teams are actively pursuing in-year mitigations, challenging spending, reviewing demand and identifying efficiencies across the organisation. We also have contingency budgets and minimal reserves are available should they be required.

“Just as important is the work we are doing through our transformation programme. This is about creating a council that is financially resilient, makes the best use of technology, delivers excellent services and is fit for the future.”

The council will continue to monitor its financial position ‘closely’ throughout the year while working to ‘deliver savings, manage demand pressures and strengthen its long-term financial sustainability’.