West Lothian Council is facing its harshest ever spending cuts

Core funding has been cut by more than £1 million, while plans to raise £6 million from a 5.8 per cent rise in council tax are threatened after the surprise intervention by First Minister Humza Yousaf last year, when he announced a council tax freeze.

The compensatory funding from Holyrood won’t match the money that would be raised from raising council tax, finance director Patrick Welsh told the council’s Executive this week.

Council officers are currently working on savings plans but cuts will be inevitable. Those areas which escaped last year could find themselves threatened this year.

The council’s projected budget gap will increase. This budget model assumes a cash freeze for core funding while a cash cut of £1.015 million is forecast and the funding for the council tax freeze will mean a further £1.165 million shortfall.

In December, the council reported that it faced an estimated gap over the four years of £36.2 million. It is now inevitable that the budget gap will increase as a result of the Scottish Draft budget.

In a report to the executive, Mr Welsh said: “CoSLA has calculated a reduction in core funding for councils of £62.7 million in 2024/25. For West Lothian, the comparable decrease in core funding compared to 2023/24 is currently estimated at £1.015 million. In addition, the level of Scottish Government funding to the council for council tax compensation will result in an estimated additional shortfall of £1.165 million.”

The Scottish Government directly funds 80 per cent of West Lothian’s budget and all councils have a legal obligation to balance their budget.

The council faces unavoidable increasing costs which include inflation, soaring energy costs and pay awards for staff.

Many service cuts have already been agreed and implemented, but there needs to be a further cut in spending.

Mr Welsh warned: “No additional funding has been provided in the 2024/25 budget settlement to meet any of these additional costs which means that changes and reductions must be made to a range of services to approve a balanced budget.

“The council cannot maintain all existing service delivery models and levels of service with the funding that is provided to us.”

Lib Dem Linlithgow Councillor Sally Pattle called the report a “stark reality check”, adding: “I think it has just demonstrated the low value placed on local government by the current Scottish Government.

“They have a wealth of expertise, of knowledge and skill available to them but they won’t let the people in local authorities use that expertise, knowledge and and skill to best deliver for local residents.”

Fellow Linlithgow Councillor Tom Conn also criticised the Scottish Government’s deliberate de-funding of local councils.

He said: “I recall the statement by the First minister at the SNP conference where he referred to a fully funded council tax freeze. It’s clear it’s not fully funded, it’s smoke and mirrors.”