Bradford Council has been granted £127 million in emergency financial support from the UK government to address its ongoing budget crisis. It is one of 30 local authorities receiving “exceptional” assistance from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
The council has faced severe financial strain for two years and narrowly avoided bankruptcy last March following an emergency government intervention. The council is prohibited from selling community and heritage assets as part of the funding agreement.
In November, the council approved £40 million in budget cuts, impacting services such as street cleaning and library operations. Three recycling centres were permanently closed last April to reduce costs. A council tax increase of nearly 15% was finalised last month.
Despite the bailout, the council must save an additional £40 million next year and £50 million annually for the following four years. The government stated that the funding is for councils in “immediate need” and will be accompanied by oversight to ensure financial stability.
