The Council’s accounts for 2025/26 have now closed and the financial picture will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting on Monday 13 July 2026. By law, the Council has to set a balanced budget each year, where the money it receives is the same as the money it spends. The Cabinet report shows a final overspend of £7.9 million during the last financial year.
At the Cabinet meeting on 13 July, Cabinet Members will be asked to approve the use of £7.9 million from unallocated reserves to fund the overspend and balance the budget. This equates to more than half of the unallocated reserves that the Council had available to deal with unexpected costs and budget challenges.
Cllr Dan Sutherland, Calderdale Council’s Leader, said:
“We have a priority to ensure value for money – making the best use of the limited money that’s available to the Council for the benefit of everyone in Calderdale.
“The financial position, inherited from the previous administration, is a £7.9 million overspend, leaving little left in reserves for a rainy day. We committed to run this Council in a financially prudent manner and now having seen the state of the finances we know the scale of the task ahead of us.
“My Cabinet and I are having detailed discussions with managers to intensify monitoring, challenge and control of spend, and we’ve started reviewing current spending to prepare for setting the next budget.
“We’ve made a firm commitment to local people to keep any council tax rise as low as possible. We’re taking action now to make sure we spend the budget carefully in the best way for taxpayers.”
The Cabinet report will also cover the £63.2 million spent on long-term capital investments in 2025/26, including buying, building or improving assets. Many of these are funded by external grants.
The Final Accounts 2025/26 – Revenue and Capital Outturn Position report will be discussed at the Council’s Cabinet meeting on Monday 13 July 2026 at Halifax Town Hall from 4pm, and subsequently presented to the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The meeting will also be live streamed online at https://calderdale.public-i.tv/core/portal/home(external link)