Budget 2022/23

St Helens Borough Council, like other councils across the country, continues to face financial challenges in providing good quality services and ensure the council remains financially sustainable for the future.

Setting a balanced budget for 2022/23

A 'Mid-year Medium Term Financial Strategy update 2021-2024' report was presented to Cabinet on 10 November 2021, providing an update on the council's medium-term strategy and highlighting a series of key risks, uncertainties and pressures that continue to exist. A further budget report was presented to Cabinet on 12 January 2022, updating the Medium Term Financial Strategy following the provisional local government finance settlement.  

The final budget report, the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022-2025 and Revenue and Capital Budget 2022/23 was approved by Cabinet on 23 February 2022 and full Council on 2 March 2022. These reports, and a copy of the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022-2025 and Revenue & Capital Budget 2022/23, can be found under 'Downloads' below.

A 'Budget Strategy 2021-2022' report was presented to Cabinet on 7 October 2020, with a further report detailing progress in identifying potential savings proposals to meet the anticipated budget gap for 2021/22 and future years being presented to Cabinet on 6 January 2021.

The final budget-setting report, the 'Medium Term Financial Strategy 2021-2024 and Revenue & Capital Budget 2021/22', was approved by Cabinet on 24 February 2021 and by full Council on 3 March 2021. These reports, and a copy of the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2021-2024 and Revenue & Capital Budget 2021/22, can be found under 'Downloads' below.

The views of local people and key stakeholders are an integral part of the budget-setting process.

The council ran a consultation exercise on the budget for 2022/​23, from 8 December 2021 to 3 January 2022, providing information about the budget challenge that the council faces. The exercise allowed residents to provide their views on which council services mattered the most to them and where spending should be prioritised.

Summary reports in relation to ​the 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 budget consultation exercises can be found under 'Downloads'.

The budget-setting process passes through a number of stages, and the reports detailing the approval process are shown under 'Downloads' below. The budget reports detail how portfolios plan to address key challenges and deliver the council's stated priorities. 

The Spending Review 2021, announced by Government in October 2021, was a one-year spending review for 2022/23. In line with this, the council has set a budget for 2022/23. 

The budget for 2022/23 was approved by Cabinet on 23 February 2022 and by full Council on 2 March 2022. The Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022-2025 and Revenue & Capital Budget 2022/23 can be found under 'Downloads'.

Following consultation with the public and key stakeholders, the proposed budget is approved by Members at the end of February/beginning of March.

Every year we publish a budget book, setting out the agreed budget for the forthcoming financial year.  

This document can be found under 'Downloads'.