The initial efficiency ideas are part of a comprehensive review of the council’s £658m yearly spend aiming to close the council’s forecast £106m budget gap by 2030. It also sets out savings of £45m and a £456m capital pot, to pay for improving roads, providing social care accommodation, new school places needed to support new housing and more. The 2026-30 plan earmarks £131m extra for social care – 20 per cent more than previous forecasts, to manage rising demand for support for vulnerable people.

We know that action is needed to bridge a budget gap, forecast to exceed £100m by 2030. We’re carrying out an efficiency review to help identify opportunities to close the gap and these proposals include some early ideas to reduce costs. At a glance: A budget gap of over £100m by 2029/30; £45m of savings – plus early opportunities identified in our efficiency review. Zero per cent [council tax rise] would see no change to bills and mean that the council still needs to find £162m of savings by 2030. Three per cent would … mean that the council still needs to find £106m of savings by 2030.

The aim of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) is to provide information on the county council's financial planning.[5] Linked documentation for the 2024 MTFS includes detailed proposals for savings and service changes, showing how the council intends to address budget gaps over the coming years.[5]

Within the 2024 Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024–28, the council includes a line for "Service Reduction Contingency" in its financial tables, indicating a planned contingency budget associated with reducing services.[3] Elsewhere in the MTFS, the document describes "Defining CFSF – Next Phases" as "ideas for potential savings, which are likely to be a combination of service reviews and reductions", and notes these are being considered in a number of areas.[3] The MTFS also refers to "Public Health Service Efficiencies" and other measures intended to reduce the costs of providing services, including reviewing interactions with service users to deliver services more efficiently.[3]

Leicestershire County Council has raised concerns that it may struggle to achieve a balanced budget in the upcoming year, as expenditures are projected to exceed revenues by £23 million. The authority, led by Reform UK, indicated that it would likely need to tap into its financial reserves to address this shortfall, estimating total spending at around £656 million, while only securing £633 million in funding. In November, the council enlisted external consultants to conduct an efficiency evaluation aimed at reducing spending by millions. The council noted that these initiatives are in the preliminary stages, primarily targeting reductions in social care costs and support for children with educational needs and disabilities.

Leicestershire County Council says it may need to borrow £166m by 2025 as a result of increasing financial pressure and the Covid-19 pandemic.[3] It also needs to make an extra £23m in savings by 2025, in addition to existing cost-cutting targets.[3] The authority is looking to lower costs across its services, which could see the closure of nine council-run day centres in Leicester, which are for adults with complex needs.[3]

A report on Leicestershire County Council's financial position notes that the Conservative-run authority "has already had to cut £262 million from its spending on services since 2010 to keep itself afloat."[1] The council is expecting a £33 million budget gap next financial year and predicts a £100 million gap by 2028/29, leading officers to warn that "it will not be possible to balance the council’s financial position without impacting on front line service delivery".[1] Officers conclude that "the scale of the challenge is highly unlikely to diminish to the point that the county council would not need to take significant corrective action" and say residents might have to "pay more for less" as "significant" service cuts are expected.[1]

Our yearly net budget totals £616m (excluding schools). The county council is one of the biggest organisations in Leicestershire, spending around £1m a day on services for more than 700,000 residents. Significant savings have already been made but further savings are required to balance the budget in future years. The council continues to face financial pressures from increasing demand for services, particularly social care, and rising costs.

Savings options will "inevitably" need to include "stopping or reducing" services if Leicestershire County Council is to balance its books over the coming years, a report has warned.[1] Council officers have now warned that it "will not be possible to balance the council's financial position without affecting front line service delivery".[1] However, savings options will "inevitably" have to include "stopping or reducing some services", officers have warned.[1]

Increasing demand in key services areas suggests the authority will "face significant additional costs" for the current 2025/26 financial year and in future years too.[8] Council officers have warned that it "will not be possible to balance the council's financial position without affecting front line service delivery".[8] Savings options will "inevitably" need to include "stopping or reducing" services if Leicestershire County Council is to balance its books over the coming years, a report has warned.[8]

A BBC News article on the council’s efficiency review states: "Leicestershire County Council has said it has identified up to £60m of potential annual savings after carrying a major cost-cutting review." It adds that the review, commissioned by the Reform UK-led administration, found "around 250" areas where savings could be made and quotes council leader Richard Tutt saying the authority "will now consult on proposals" affecting services, staff and spending. The piece frames the £60m savings as part of efforts to close an expected budget gap by 2030.

In Leicestershire, council tax increases means the charge for county council-provided services will increase by £1.54 a week for Band D properties. The county council has said it still needs to make millions of pounds of savings over the next few years to balance its books, despite the tax rise. Opposition councillors have warned that residents will see cuts or reductions to some services as the authority attempts to close its budget gap.

In a discussion of the Provisional Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026/2027 at Leicestershire County Council, the chair "queried whether this would be funded by service cuts or using reserves".[8] The response recorded in the agenda item explains that the budget approach involves a balance between using reserves and identifying savings, indicating that service reductions are one of the options considered to fund the strategy.[8]

UNISON's response to Leicester City Council's proposed budget notes that the budget report "proposes continuing the planned savings programme, albeit with a reduced overall target of £19.5m – after subtracting the savings already achieved (£13.8m), this constitutes £5.7m of further cuts."[2] The strategy is described as including "Strand Five: Make permanent savings (i.e. service cuts) of £23m from the annual revenue budget", with the updated report reducing the target but still planning several million pounds of additional cuts.[2] Although focused on the city council rather than the county council, the document provides context that local authorities in the Leicester area are planning multi-year programmes of service cuts as part of their medium-term financial strategies.[2]

Government itself has asked us to bring forward proposals for unitary local government with clear criteria to save money to deliver high quality sustainable services, to empower communities and to unlock devolution for more local control and funding. Independent analysis shows that by reducing management layers and back offices, we can save around £40 million a year, savings which have been independently analysed, that this money can be reinvested in services people care about. It would save … around £4 million pounds every year not by cutting services but by cutting duplication. These are savings we badly need to protect our vital services. But even those savings will leave a huge funding gap. We cannot restructure our way out of a funding crisis.

The Wikipedia entry for Leicestershire County Council notes that "From 2010–2015, the council has had to save £100 million – two-thirds as efficiency savings and the remainder from services." It adds that the council "has predicted it will have to save more from services as austerity continues, with a further £100 million-plus of savings required over the next four years." This describes past and projected reductions from services in response to funding pressures.

This is HUGE! Your Reform UK Administration at Leicestershire County Council has paid off £26.9 MILLION of debt inherited from the previous Conservative administration. Since taking office, Reform UK has been focused on restoring financial discipline, reducing debt, and ensuring taxpayers get better value for money. ✅ £26.9 million paid off. ✅ Hundreds of millions put back into services ✅ No service cuts PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT.

A Facebook post discussing Leicestershire County Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy quotes the council’s own forecasts: "This revised MTFS for 2026-30 projects a gap of £23m in the first year… There is then a gap of £49m in year two rising to £106m in year four, based on a 2.99% Council Tax increase." The post argues that "Led by Reform UK, Leicestershire county council is currently consulting on their plans to decimate public service provision" and states that Reform "thus state that by 2026-27 they will have to slash £23 million from public services" under their chosen approach, instead of smaller cuts if they increased council tax more.

Leicestershire County Council says it may need to borrow £166m by 2025 as a result of increasing financial pressure and the Covid-19 pandemic. The authority said years of underfunding had left it as the lowest-funded county council in England and it has already made savings of £200m since 2010, and needs to find another £74m by 2024. The council warned that without extra government support further cuts to services would be likely.

By department: CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES … Demand management -1,240; ADULTS & COMMUNITIES … Additional Service User Income from new growth to offset costs -3,630; … Demand management -4,000. These negative figures in the draft budget growth tables represent planned savings or income increases to offset service growth pressures. They indicate that the council is planning demand management and other measures to reduce the net cost of services.

The 2025 Leicestershire County Council election took place on 1 May 2025 to elect members to Leicestershire County Council in Leicestershire, England. The council moved to no overall control, with Reform UK forming a minority administration. The change of control has led to debates over budget priorities, savings, and the future of local services as the new administration seeks to address the authority’s long-term funding gap.

A statement published by Hinckley and Bosworth Conservatives describes Leicestershire County Council as "responsible for the administration of local services such as social care and education, the maintenance of roads and provision of public transport." It refers to "huge organisational and financial changes" facing the council and the wider public sector, with a Labour government "forcing through" local government reorganisation and a reduction in NHS staffing structures, characterising the period as "concerning times" for service delivery and finances.

A local news report on proposed local government reorganisation states that "Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is set to cost councils across Leicestershire nearly £30m in the new financial year, documents outlining the plans show."[9] The article explains that these additional costs are putting pressure on council budgets and notes concerns that authorities may need to make savings or adjust services to cope with the financial impact.[9]

Leicestershire County Council describes itself as one of the biggest organisations in the county, spending around £1m a day on services for residents. Council budget documents over the past decade record substantial savings programmes, driven largely by austerity-era funding reductions and rising demand for social care. The council has repeatedly warned that without further government funding, it would have to make additional cuts or reductions to services to achieve a balanced budget.

In a Facebook post shared by a local BBC Leicester page, a commentator discussing the Reform-led Leicestershire County Council says: "Darren Rushin just cut the spending in most areas. They'll don have to negotiate better deals. They'll just have to run more trimmed services is what happens when you cut spending like this."[10] The post suggests that while some claim there are "no service cuts", reduced spending is leading to "more trimmed services" and changes in how services are run.[10]

The county council currently needs to plug an expected £90 million gap in its day-to-day budget by 2028, according to LeicestershireLive’s reporting on the authority’s finances.[10] The piece notes that the council has warned of the need for savings and that service cuts are expected as part of efforts to close the budget shortfall, reflecting continuing financial pressures on local services.[10]

A post from UKIP North West Leicestershire on Facebook states: "In May last year, Reform UK became the largest party on Leicestershire County Council. A year & a bit later we've just paid off £26.9m of Tory debt." It repeats the claim: "✓ £26.9 million paid off. ✓ Hundreds of millions put back into services ✓ No service cuts PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT." The message presents a partisan narrative that the Reform-led council has delivered debt reduction and increased service spending without cutting services.

Leicestershire County Council’s page on local government reorganisation explains that "The Government wants to move away from two-tier councils and create joined up, simpler ways of leading local services." It notes that the council is considering models to reorganise the current structure of county and district councils. While focused on governance structure rather than budgets, it frames changes as intended to improve how local services are led and delivered.