Kent Council could go bust if they fail to find £144m in savings
New figures mean the council will have to look at every area of its expenditure
Kent County Council faces a huge increase in savings it must make in the near future or face going bust.
New figures just published by the BBC Shared Data Unit shows Kent County Council will have to find £144m in 2026-27 – around £55m more than the current financial year.
But the council is not alone as other large authorities face similar deficits, including Leeds (£152.4m), Surrey (£151.7m) and Somerset (£147.8m).
KCC will have to look at every area of its expenditure – discretionary and statutory spending – in order to balance the books. Failure to do so could end up in the council issuing a section 114 notice, effectively an admission of bankruptcy.
KCC has confirmed the BBC SDU figures are accurate but have pointed out that it is one of the biggest councils in the country.
A KCC statement said: “These figures…reflect the enormous pressures that the whole of local government has been facing for several years, mainly around adult and children’s social care, and school transport.
“Compared with other councils on the list, KCC’s figures look particularly large because we are one of the largest local authorities in the UK. However, the figures per person show we are, in fact, middle of the pack.
“We have always been open and transparent about the fact that KCC is facing some very difficult challenges, and that we are addressing these mainly through savings, some of which involve very difficult decisions around the services we provide."