Chorley and South Ribble councils ask residents how they should spend their cash
Chorley and South Ribble residents are being asked to help the two boroughs’ councils set their spending priorities for next year.
The neighbouring authorities - which share many back office services, but function as separate entities - usually consult the public on a draft version of their annual budgets early in the new year, before councillors vote on them.
But this time around, the councils want to get locals involved at an earlier stage in the process, to give them a greater say in the final outcome.
Chorley Council’s budget for the next financial year is going to be a challenging one, with a forecast shortfall of £2.175m, against the backdrop of increasing demand for services and ongoing uncertainty around the future of local government funding.
Peter Wilson, deputy leader of Chorley Council, said: “In summer and autumn, we set our corporate strategy objectives and map out the projects we intend to deliver across the coming year. The feedback from this consultation will allow us to see much earlier where our residents want to see investment and we can use it to form our plans.
“We receive funding from different sources, including a small portion of council tax, business rates, government grants, and income from services such as planning and leisure and we need to make sure we spend our money wisely and efficiently to ensure we are still in a good position to deliver quality day-to-day services and go above and beyond our statutory duties to support our residents.
Meanwhile, South Ribble Borough Council leader Matthew Tomlinson made a similar plea to residents in his district, where the predicted budget gap for 2026/27 is £2.183m.
“We get our funding from a range of sources. People might not be aware, but only around 12 percent of the council tax they pay stays with South Ribble. The vast majority goes to Lancashire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the Fire and Rescue Service. We also get funding from business rates, government grants, and income from services like planning and leisure.
“It’s vital we use these resources wisely to maintain high-quality services and support our residents beyond our statutory responsibilities and the feedback gathered will help shape a balanced and ambitious draft budget, which will be presented for final consultation in early 2026,” Cllr Tomlinson said.
HOW TO HAVE YOUR SAY
The consultations are open until 24th August and can be accessed at www.chorley.gov.uk/consultations and www.southribble.gov.uk/consultations