‘Grim’ financial situation at St Helens Council

The challenges facing the authority were highlighted in the revenue and capital outturn report for 2022-23, which came before the cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday.

It detailed the outturn position in relation to the revenue and capital budget for 2022-23, subject to audit, and summarises the reserves and balances position.

The report also includes the treasury management outturn report for 2022-23.

The revenue and capital outturn report 2022-23 stated that the revenue outturn position for 2022-23 is an overspend of £4.505 million.

It also says the overall overspend for 2022-23 has been "mitigated by variations within the corporate budgets".

Furthermore, during the meeting, the cabinet approved the inclusive growth strategy – which is focused on building an "inclusive, thriving and well-connected economy".

The strategy builds on the St Helens Together ethos, which provided support for those in need during Covid-19, to help the borough succeed through the current cost of living crisis and into the future by "greater co-operation" between businesses, organisations and communities.

Council leader David Baines (Image: St Helens Council)

During the meeting, council leader Cllr David Baines stated that he really welcomes the inclusive growth strategy.

But he told members that the revenue and capital outturn report "paints a really grim picture".

He added: “Not just for us as a council and our finances, but we all know for residents in our communities, and all those agencies that we work with closely that exist to help people, they’re all struggling, everyone is struggling, everyone’s finding the current economic circumstances difficult.

“God knows the Government aren’t doing anything to try and help people, our local opposition parties aren’t doing anything to try and help people – there’s only Labour nationally and locally actually even trying to help people, and this is a good example of that, because with all the regeneration that we’re bringing to the borough, all the growth, all the businesses we’re trying to encourage, all the housebuilding, all the new homes that people desperately need, the new jobs, the new apprenticeships, the new careers, the new training, the new skills, the aspiration that we’re trying to encourage, we want all the money that that generates and that brings to the borough to stay in the borough, as much of it as possible, and that’s what this inclusive growth strategy is all about.”