Calderdale councillors back multi-million pound spending and savings programme

Cabinet member for Resources, Coun Silvia Dacre (Lab, Todmorden) said schemes, ranging from highways to homes and leisure projects, amounted to an ambitious programme but one which brought challenges.

Inflation is high, putting up costs, and many project budgets were drawn up some time before – these will be monitored, Cabinet heard.

Grants will fund 83 per cent of projects while the council will foot the bill for 15 per cent, through borrowing at special rates. The total includes unused funding carried over from 2021-22.

Meanwhile, the first financial monitor of the year showed Calderdale Council set to overspend by around £2 million.

Coun Dacre said the year’s first monitor is often pessimistic and, as in previous years, action through budget challenge sessions will seek to reduce this.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet approved the 2022-2025 programme.