Council applies for £16m emergency government loan

A council has asked the government for a £16m emergency loan to cope with "tremendous financial demands".

West Berkshire Council said £13m would bolster dwindling reserves while the remaining £3m would fill a gap in next year's budget.

Iain Cottingham, cabinet member in charge of finance, said the authority would sell off assets to repay the loan as soon as possible.

On Monday, the government said a record number of councils had applied for financial help for 2025/26.

Some authorities have requested loans, while six councils, including Windsor and Maidenhead, have been allowed to raise their council tax by more than the government limit of 5%.

Mr Cottingham said: "This budget reflects the harsh reality of the current financial climate that faces all councils across the country.

"It has been a significant challenge to set a balanced budget."

The council said its reserves stood at £4m and were forecast to fall to "unsustainable" levels.

Growing pressures for the Liberal Democrat-run council included the cost of caring for children and adults in need, it added.

Council leader Jeff Brooks said: "There are tremendous financial demands across the country within local councils and we are not immune.

"We are spending much more on children and adult care – investing over £8m extra in this area in the next year as demand continues to grow."

The council said some proposed cutbacks had been rejected following public feedback.

The discounted plans included removing support for Downland Sports Centre, switching off streetlights at night and ending the Adult Respite in the Community service.

You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.