Fenland District Council anticipates £4m deficit without intervention

Fenland District Council has issued a caution, indicating a potential deficit exceeding £4 million by the fiscal year 2029-30 should no measures be implemented. A report from the council noted that this most recent projected shortfall is “significantly higher” compared to earlier predictions. For the current year, expenditures have risen by £536,000. These increased costs encompass legal expenses associated with the Wisbech incinerator, alongside extra outlays within the planning department, attributed to challenges in recruiting and retaining personnel. Chris Boden, the Conservative council leader, expressed his “certainty” that the anticipated deficit would be lowered, stating that the council intends to address “specific issues.” During a cabinet meeting, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he remarked, “Our trading accounts continue to be a drain upon the authority.” He further elaborated, “We continue to have the problem of the cost of the internal drainage board levies. We have the issue of homelessness in particular, which is a very significant drain on our resources, and it continues to be significantly above the budgeted figure for the current year.” Internal drainage boards function as public entities responsible for regulating water levels across Fenland, a region where a substantial portion lies beneath sea level. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, the council has projected a budget shortfall of £2.6 million against a net expenditure of £19 million, assuming no rise in council tax. Boden acknowledged significant financial uncertainty, stating that the council anticipated learning the amount of funding it would receive from central government by the week’s end. He commented, “We have quite a number of areas where we will have to take action – where we know we are going to need to take or are currently planning to take [action].” Furthermore, the council is implementing “a programme of transformation” aimed at attaining “the same outcomes we currently have, but doing it in a more efficient and effective way.” He also suggested it was “quite possibly not realistic” to presume the authority would avoid increasing council tax over the forthcoming five years, as it might face the necessity to “make the choice between unpalatable changes or increasing council tax.”