Council works to tackle in-year budget pressures
11 September 2025
West Northamptonshire Council is working hard to keep its books balanced despite continued financial pressures and rising demand for key services.
In February the Council set a revenue budget for 2025-26 of £431.8 million (excluding the Dedicated Schools Grant), having initially started the budgetary process last summer with an anticipated £53m gap which it managed to close.
In its latest budget monitoring update going to Cabinet later this month, WNC is currently forecasting a £9.6m overspend this year, equivalent to just over 2% of its budget, due to ongoing financial pressures in key services such as children’s, education and adults.
The update, based in the authority’s finances four months into the 2025-26 financial year, provides an early snapshot of the Council’s in-year challenges and work is already under way towards closing the gap by the end of March 2026. Last year the Council also found itself forecasting overspends at various points of the budgetary process, however finished the financial year on budget.
“With limited funding and resources coupled with a continued rise in demand for the services supporting our most vulnerable residents, we’re finding it a real challenge to keep our books balanced this year.Councillor John Slope, Finance Cabinet Member
“Although it’s not unusual to forecast an overspend at certain points of the year given our ongoing financial pressures, it’s always concerning and a top priority for us to close this 2% gap by year end.
“Every year our Council, like authorities across the country, faces significant financial pressures from the ongoing government squeeze on public sector budgets and we know there’s going to be more to come next year. That’s why we’re starting the work now on next year’s budget-setting process to identify further savings and efficiencies that will help us to protect essential services and deliver better value for money.”
The Council’s revenue monitoring and medium-term financial plan will be the subject of discussion at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, 18 September in the Forum, Towcester from 6pm.