Pools at risk as Wolverhampton Council announces £32.5 million worth of cuts

The authority said it would be looking to 'rationalise' its leisure centre provision as it seeks to slash its funding deficit.

Council leader Councillor Stephen Simkins said it was too early to say whether any council-run leisure centres were at risk, but did not rule out the possibility.

The council tax will rise by 4.99 per cent next year, adding an extra £100 to the average band 'D' property, taking the total cost to £2,104.28 before the precept for the police and fire service is added to the bill.

Councillor Simkins said he hoped compulsory redundancies would be avoided, but some job losses were inevitable.

He said the rising costs of adult and children's social care, coupled with recent pressures from inflation, had put the council's finances under intense pressure.

But he said there was no risk of Wolverhampton following the path of Birmingham Council in having to declare itself insolvent in the foreseeable future.

Council chief executive Tim Johnson has compiled an outline programme of proposed savings to be delivered over the period from April next year to April 2027. His report will be presented to a meeting of the cabinet on Wednesday next week (November 13).

Public toilets at the One Stop information office in Victoria Street are set to close, along with the Shopmobility service which provides equipment for disabled people to navigate the city centre.

A review will be carried out of frontline services such as grounds and highway maintenance, refuse collection and street cleaning.

More than £2.67 million worth of savings have been identified in adult social care, although Councillor Simkins said the council would do all it could to ensure there was not discernible difference to the quality of services provided.

It is proposed that from September this year, children over the age of 16 with special educational needs will have to pay for their travel costs.

The 'rationalisation' of leisure centres will save the council £640,000, and a cut to funding for the city's youth zone will save £98,000.