Date published: 2026-11-04 | Category: Finance
Bath & North East Somerset Council is setting out how it will tackle significant financial challenges while continuing to protect essential services and support residents.
A report to Cabinet on 12 November sets out the council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy, including a savings requirement of around £14.7 million for 2027/28.
The council is facing rising demand and costs, particularly in services supporting vulnerable adults and children. Changes to government funding are adding to the pressure, with the Fair Funding Review expected to reduce the council’s funding by nearly £13 million per annum over the next three years.
The council says it is taking action now to put its finances on a sustainable footing. Central to this is its Transformation Plan, focused on:
- Prevention: helping people earlier, before problems become more serious.
- Productivity: making services simpler and making better use of technology, data and resources.
- Place shaping: working with communities and partners to make the best use of local strengths and resources.
Cabinet will also consider a new approach to improving wellbeing and reducing inequalities across Bath and North East Somerset. This includes developing a Wellbeing and Outcomes Framework, a 10-year Inequalities Plan and a Prevention Strategy, with a greater focus on acting earlier and improving outcomes for residents.
This will sit alongside the council’s continuing focus on tackling the climate and ecological emergencies, including adapting to a changing climate, reducing emissions and restoring nature, as set out in the new Climate and Nature Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2030. Together, these approaches will help ensure that wellbeing, inequality, prevention and climate are more clearly considered in the council’s long-term decisions.
Current plans identify £7.25 million of potential savings in 2027/28 through transformation. Further measures will also be needed as the council develops its budget proposals.
Councillor Mark Elliott, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “Like many councils we face significant financial challenges, with increasing demand for important services at the same time as costs are rising and central government funding is being reduced.
“We need to change the way we work if we are going to keep delivering the services people need. Transformation means helping people earlier, making services simpler and more effective, and making the best use of our money and resources.
“It won’t solve the whole financial challenge and there will still be difficult choices ahead. But it will help us protect the services people rely on and put the council on a more sustainable footing for the future.”
The council will consult residents on its budget proposals later in November, ahead of setting the 2027/28 budget in February.
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