Those with broadest shoulders should help fix the economy, Sheffield LibDems want council to declare

At next week’s full council meeting at Sheffield Town Hall, a motion submitted by the Liberal Democrat group will call Sheffield City Council to agree that “without additional funding, local government provision will continue to decline”.

The motion, which can be found on the council’s website, says that Sheffield City Council is currently projected to be £34million over budget by the end of this financial year.

The group added they believed that without additional funding, more local authorities would be forced to issue Section 114 notices, effectively declaring bankruptcy.

The motion also says that in Sheffield:

The Education, Children and Families Policy Committee General Fund is currently overspent by £14.1m

Sheffield, the Adult Health and Social Care Policy Committee is currently overspent by £9m

Last year Sheffield City Council incurred a loss of £4.9m as a result of legislation relating to supported accommodation and the lack of Government funding to fully subsidise housing for those experiencing temporary homelessness – this year this number could be £7.1m

Also in this financial year, homelessness support in temporary and exempt accommodation is forecast to cost the Council £12.6m.

The motion says: “Sheffield City Council faces serious financial challenges in the coming months and years and the burden of fixing the country’s economy should fall on the broadest shoulders including big banks, social media companies and oil and gas giants rather than hard-working households.”

This motion will be discussed at 2pm next Wednesday (November 6) at Sheffield Town Hall.