Councils are legally required to set a balanced budget for each financial years.

Barnsley Council has clarified what an alleged ‘black hole’ in budgeting and finances is, following claims by the new Reform administration.

At the first council meeting after the local election in May, council leader William Brown said: “Since opening the books, we’ve already discovered a black hole of over £30 million left by Labour.

“That’s the reality of what we are dealing with now so ignoring that would not be a responsible thing to do.

“The opposition can play politics with it, but our focus will be doing the right thing, protecting services while keeping council tax as low as possible and being transparent throughout.”

At a recent meeting on July 16, the cabinet spokesperson for core services, Coun Martin Bancroft reiterated this.

“I think you’ll find as a matter of record if you look through the accounts, there is a £30 million gap in the budget, when you go to the year 2029/30,” he said.

In a statement by the leader of the council, Coun Brown, said: “A £23m funding gap was reported when we set the budget in February, 2026, that gap grows by another £7m when looking ahead just one more year. So the £30m gap covers the period 2027–2030.

“To respond to this, the council already has a savings strategy in place, this will be reviewed and expanded to address the increased financial challenge,” he said.

“We know that increased demand from children and adult social care is having a significant impact on council finances across the country. We’ll be working with officers at the council to understand budget pressures and saving plans to ensure the council remains financially sustainable.”

Councils have a legal duty to set a balanced budget for each financial year.