Brent Council’s Cabinet will meet on Monday 17 November to consider a £10million financial plan to safeguard the frontline services that local communities rely on.
Like many councils, Brent faces a challenging financial outlook due to rising demand for vital services such as homelessness support, children’s services and adult social care - all while costs continue to increase faster than funding.
London boroughs face a record £1billion shortfall in 2025/26, and over the next four years (2025-26 to 2028-29) the combined budget gap is forecast to top £4billion - almost as much as the entire Met Police budget for 2025/26 (£3.8 billion). Analysis from London Councils warns that half of all London boroughs could require Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from the Government to balance their budgets and avoid bankruptcy by 2028.
Brent Council, like the majority of councils in England is proposing council tax increases of 4.99% for 2026/27. This is made up of a 3% general increase and a 2% adult social care precept. Six councils across the country have been granted permission by the government to increase by more than 4.99%, due to financial difficulties. Under careful financial management, Brent Council is not having to make that difficult decision of increasing it above 4.99%.
Councils across the capital are also spending around £5million every day on temporary accommodation - a 30% increase in just one year. More than half of all homelessness spending in England now takes place in London, despite the capital having only 15% of the population.
The proposals to be put before Cabinet are all about protecting the frontline by cutting costs behind the scenes - making the council work smarter, faster and more efficiently. Key measures include:
- Using data to spot and help people earlier, before they get into a crisis.
- Harnessing technology, including AI, to get more done in a day and save cash.
- Making it easier and quicker for residents to contact the council online at a time that suits them* - freeing up council staff and resources to spend on things residents care about, like cleaner streets and community safety.
- Getting better deals with suppliers, cutting office costs, promoting apprenticeships and using empty council buildings to bring in extra income.
- Teaming up with local charities, community groups and other public sector partners, to tackle issues in smarter, more joined-up ways.
Even as savings are being made, Brent continues to invest in the local priorities’ residents care about: cleaner streets, safer communities and better public spaces. The council is using money generated by new homes built by developers in the borough to install new CCTV cameras, fill more potholes, and to buy more trees ready to plant in spring.
Councillor Mili Patel, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources, said:
“A perfect storm of high inflation and the legacy of austerity under the last government means we now have less money to serve more people, whose needs are more complex, and whose services cost more to deliver.
“It is a difficult set of circumstances facing all councils, but we are determined to rise to the challenge. We are radically changing the way the council works behind the scenes, to ensure we are able to deliver the high-quality public services you need within the budget we have.”
Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said:
“Many councils continue to operate under severe financial duress. Brent isn’t immune to these challenges, but we have continued to manage our finances responsibly over many, many years - allowing us to protect the frontline services that matter most.
“We are now accelerating our drive to transform the way we work so we can continue to protect essential services. This isn’t an easy task, but I’m pleased that most of the £10million we need to save next year can come from working more efficiently and effectively.”
* For those who need it, there will still be the option to call the council or talk face-to-face.
