BCP and Dorset councils react to Autumn Budget
Both councils argue that the budget fails to address financial challenges faced by local authorities.
Last updated 26th Nov 2025
BCP Council and Dorset Council have responded to the Chancellor's Autumn budget statement.
Both councils argue that the budget fails to address financial challenges faced by local authorities.
BCP Council response
Councillor Mike Cox, BCP Council Deputy Leader and Finance Portfolio Holder said:
“We have been open and transparent about our challenging financial environment. Years of austerity, increasing demand for our services and the inflation-driven rise in cost of delivery mean that we, and councils around the country, are having to make difficult decisions every year.
“This budget is not one that puts residents first or supports councils to deliver vital services.
“In particular, the cost of Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) support is an increasing and unsustainable pressure on the council’s budget that puts the financial viability of the whole council at risk.
“I am therefore extremely disappointed that this crisis has not been properly addressed – or even mentioned by the Chancellor in her speech today – with the government having already delayed the much-needed reform from this autumn until next year.
“While the Office for Budget Responsibility has recognised the government’s intention to move the SEND debt from Council books to its own departmental budgets in 2028/29, this does not solve the fundamental issues at the heart of this crisis. It also still relies on councils continuing to fund an unsustainable service for the next two years. In the meantime, this creates immense pressure on our budget, and ultimately affects the services we offer our residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
“Today was a missed opportunity to immediately return the SEND system to financial sustainability.
“We have been highlighting this issue with government and calling for complete reform of the system for years, most recently with a letter to the Secretaries of State for the Department of Education and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
“As a council, we provide everything from caring for vulnerable adults and children, to collecting our residents’ and businesses’ bins, supplying safe and welcoming homes, looking after our beautiful beaches and natural habitats, and much more. We know our residents want us to prioritise our Adults and Children’s Services, and they also want our towns to be clean, safe, welcoming.
“We’re increasingly having to focus on the services we must provide by law, rather than those our residents want to see. For example, community support isn’t statutory, nor is economic development or supporting culture and yet these are things that make our people and places thrive – and are much valued by residents.
“We need government to recognise the immense good that councils do and fund us accordingly so that we can build sustainable financial footing, plan for the long term and deliver for our residents, businesses and visitors.”
Dorset Council response
Cllr Simon Clifford - Dorset Council's Cabinet Member for Finance and Capital Strategy said:
"Today’s Autumn Statement is a bitter disappointment for Dorset and the wider South West. Once again, rural communities like ours are being left behind as government favours devolved areas.
"We do welcome the removal of the two-child benefit cap – this will help some families in Dorset who are struggling in poverty.
"But beyond that, the news is bleak. Only Mayors of devolved areas will have powers to raise a tourism levy – a huge blow for Dorset, one of the UK’s top visitor destinations. Because government rejected the Wessex devolution proposal earlier this year, we miss out on this vital income stream – a lost opportunity to invest in infrastructure and our visitor economy.
"Mayors and Cornwall will also pilot business rate retention, creating yet another income source Dorset is denied, despite our readiness and strong plans for Wessex devolution.
"Adding insult to injury, councils must administer a new council tax surcharge on properties over £2 million, raising £400m nationally, but this funding will go to the Treasury rather than staying in Dorset.
"We urged the Chancellor to deliver fair funding that reflects the real cost of services in rural areas. Instead, local government barely got a mention. Government is no longer acknowledging the higher cost of rurality for services, with the exception of adult social care – costing Dorset residents millions in lost funding.
"Our residents already pay more and get less. 82% of our funding comes from council tax, compared to far higher government support for urban councils. Without fair funding, we are now facing impossible choices to balance the budget and protect essential services. We've heard the headlines, we now need to see the details, but my fear is Dorset is going to be worse off.
"Dorset and the South West deserve better. We need bold action to end the postcode lottery in local government funding and ensure rural communities are not left behind."