An internal efficiency review commissioned by Staffordshire County Council's ruling Reform UK group has identified significant savings totalling £2.67 million for the coming financial year.
Key Areas for Savings Identified
The review, launched after Reform UK took control of the council in May's local elections, has produced seven specific proposals. The council, which had a net revenue budget of £734 million for 2025/26, will see the savings implemented from the next financial cycle.
Major savings will come from a reassessment of the mobile library service, projected to save £130,000. A review of contractual spending with voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations will yield a further £150,000.
The most substantial saving relates to concessionary fares, which is expected to save £1 million in 2026/27, reducing to £500,000 in subsequent years. A one-off saving of £500,000 will also be realised by advancing increased revenue from waste-to-recycling operations.
Additional Efficiency Measures
Other areas contributing to the £2.67 million figure include:
- A review of pooled buildings budgets, saving £750,000.
- Increased income from enterprise centres due to greater capacity, generating £100,000.
- A review of community safety contracts, saving £42,000.
Council leaders have indicated that more efficiencies and savings will be detailed as part of the council's medium-term financial strategy, which is scheduled for publication in early January.
Political Context and Future Scrutiny
The drive for savings follows comments made by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage after May's elections, where he signalled his party would seek substantial cost reductions at the county council. He specifically highlighted climate change initiatives and 'DEI' (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) as potential areas for cuts.
At an October meeting of the corporate overview and scrutiny committee, the council's Conservative opposition leader, Philip White, questioned whether the review's findings would be presented to the committee for examination. The cabinet member for finance and resources, Councillor Chris Large, confirmed there were no such intentions.
Councillor Large stated: "We are committed to delivering maximum value for money for Staffordshire taxpayers and making sure the funding we have stretches as far as possible to deliver the biggest benefit to the county." He added that the identified savings could be carried forward year on year.
While Reform UK has established a 'DOGE' unit to identify allegedly wasteful expenditure at councils it controls, this unit has not yet examined Staffordshire's finances.
