Thirty English councils granted exceptional financial support packages

<p>Local authorities can collectively borrow £1.5bn to plug budget gaps caused by underfunding</p><p>A record <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptional-financial-support-for-local-authorities-for-2025-26">30 English local authorities</a> have been granted effective “bailouts” enabling them to borrow money to avoid bankruptcy, as ministers advised them against selling off prized local assets such as historic buildings, parks and allotments.</p><p>The councils, all of whom were experiencing “unmanageable” financial pressures, were given the green light by ministers to collectively borrow £1.5bn to plug significant budget gaps caused by underfunding and soaring demand for social care and other services.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/20/english-councils-exceptional-financial-support-packages">Continue reading...</a>