By Declan Carey

Services for Stockport residents will not be hit despite the need to manage a forecast £3.75m deficit from quarter one this year, the council's cabinet member for finance has confirmed.

Stockport needs to make savings of £10.8m by 2024/25, and £44.059m by 2027/28. It also needs to offset an overspend of £3.75m from quarter 1 of this year.

Cllr Jilly Julian, cabinet member for finance and resources, admitted that pressure is growing on Stockport Council but pledged that it will not be "another Birmingham" and face financial collapse.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The decrease in government funding is really starting to be felt, but I am comfortable in the financial management here in Stockport. That confidence in not being another Birmingham is really strong.

"We are balancing out the impact of the overspend with our reserves so other areas are not impacted. But reserves can only be spent once so we need to use them prudently."

She added that a growing part of the council's spending is being used on adult social care and children's services, as the aftermath of the pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis continue to bite.

She said: "We are looking at something like 70% of our spend on adult and children's social care. The amount is increasing, service costs are increasing and national government funding is decreasing significantly.

"If I had a magic wand, that is where I would wave it because we are talking about populations that have significant needs."

Stockport's Labour Party has raised concerns over the budget and how the cabinet is managing the council's finances.

Councillor Christine Carrigan, Labour's deputy leader at the council and chair of the CRMG Scrutiny Committee, said: "It is probably the worst position that we have been in. We have the rest of the year to put that three million difference right. The cabinet's response to the financial report was underwhelming. I do not think the Lib Dems are the ones who can balance the books."

Stockport Council leader Mark Hunter said there will be "no gambling with public money" under his administration in Stockport.

He added: "We will not be afraid to take tough decisions and we will balance the books."

Local authorities are facing increasing scrutiny over their finances after Birmingham City Council declared itself in financial distress in September.

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