Windsor and Maidenhead councillors told of financial crisis

A Berkshire council is more than £200m in debt and risks becoming the latest local authority to effectively go bankrupt, councillors have been told.

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is forecast to overspend by £7.3m this financial year. It is budgeted to overspend by £6.2m in 2024/25.

Rising interest rates have increased the cost of servicing its £203m debt.

The council's cabinet was given the update at its latest meeting.

Finance councillor Lynne Jones blamed the problems on "historic spending decisions on council tax and borrowing, weak financial management and low financial resilience over the past decade", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Growing demand for adult social care and high levels of inflation have also been cited as contributing factors.

Ms Jones said the cabinet would do "everything we can" to avoid issuing a Section 114 notice, which would effectively declare the council bankrupt.

Other local authorities have already followed the route of effective bankruptcy, including neighbouring Slough.

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