Lib Dem Stockport Pleads for Fairer Deal Amid Tax Squeeze Fears

Key Points

• Stockport Council, controlled by Liberal Democrats, faces a £75m funding gap over the next five years due to rising costs for over 800 services.
• The council has made ‘impossible decisions’ including £26m savings last year via a 4.99% council tax rise and £59 garden waste charge.
• Recent measures under consideration: job cuts to workforce and hikes in town centre parking charges.
• February budget vote requires £20m more savings.
• Missed government’s Recovery Grant for second year, despite Lancashire Hill being Greater Manchester’s most deprived area.
• Council leader Mark Roberts wrote to Minister Alison McGovern MP urging fairer funding; settlement gives Stockport 7.49% core spending power (CSP) rise by 2028/29 vs England’s 15.1% average.
• Roberts warns council tax will fund 66% of CSP by 2028/29, calling it unsustainable and regressive.
• Council pushed towards borrowing for daily spend and further tax flexibilities.
• Government promises £78bn total council funding next year, including £356.1m for Stockport; separate £20m for Brinnington regeneration.

Stockport (Manchester Mirror) January 30, 2026 – Cash-strapped Stockport Council has issued an urgent appeal to the government for fairer funding, warning of ‘unprecedented’ financial challenges ahead. The Lib Dem-led authority faces a £75m shortfall over five years as costs escalate for more than 800 borough-wide services, forcing tough choices to balance its books.

What Financial Pressures Are Gripping Stockport Council?

The council grapples with mounting expenses that outpace income, leading to annual savings demands. Just this week, Stockport Council revealed considerations for workforce job cuts alongside town centre parking charge increases. Last year, it implemented a £59 garden waste collection fee and a 4.99% council tax hike to secure £26m in savings.

The upcoming February budget, set for a vote by elected members at the town hall, demands another £20m in cuts. These measures highlight the ‘impossible decisions’ town hall bosses describe as unavoidable.

Why Did Stockport Miss Out on Key Government Grants?

A major grievance is Stockport’s exclusion from the government’s Recovery Grant for the second consecutive year. This £600m scheme last year targeted ‘areas with greater need and demand for services’ and those with ‘less ability to raise income locally’. Concern arose when recent deprivation data identified Lancashire Hill in Stockport as Greater Manchester’s most deprived area, yet no funds materialised.

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, this omission has deepened the financial strain despite the borough’s needs.

What Did Council Leader Mark Roberts Urge in His Letter?

Stockport Council leader Cllr Mark Roberts penned a letter last week to Alison McGovern MP, Minister for Local Government and Homelessness, demanding urgent fairer funding. In the letter, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Roberts stated the expected settlement has ‘exacerbated’ difficulties for what he called ‘a very well-managed authority’.

He questioned why Stockport faces a mere 7.49% core spending power (CSP) increase by 2028/29, against England’s 15.1% average. Cllr Roberts added: “This means Stockport receives less than half the increase of councils facing similar demands and budget pressures.”

How Does National Funding Fall Short for Essential Services?

Cllr Roberts emphasised: “Existing national funding continues to be insufficient to meet the cost pressures councils across the country face in delivering essential services that our residents and businesses depend on.” He cautioned that without change, council tax payers risk ‘pay more and get less for their money’.

By 2028/29, he noted, 66% of CSP will derive from local council tax rather than government sources. Cllr Roberts wrote: “Disappointingly, government continues to place an ever-increasing burden on local taxpayers to fund local services, which is unsustainable and a regressive tax.”

Is Stockport Council Nearing a Financial Cliff Edge?

The leader highlighted the council being pushed ‘ever closer to needing to ask government for exceptional financial support through borrowing to fund day-to-day spend and further council tax increase flexibilities’. In conclusion, Cllr Roberts urged: “I therefore ask that Stockport receives the same funding increase protection guarantee over the settlement as other councils facing equivalent financial pressures.”

He continued: “Given the seriousness of the situation and the unprecedented financial risk this settlement poses to Stockport, as well as undermining the wider Greater Manchester Strategy, I urge you to review the proposals and their impact on Stockport. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this critically important issue with you ahead of the final settlement. It isn’t too late to avoid the unintended impact of the draft proposals from your government.”

What Is the Government’s Response to Stockport’s Plea?

Major concerns persist in Stockport over whether the Labour government hears the ‘critical’ plight. For its part, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government stated: “We’re making almost £78 billion available for councils next year – the biggest increase in local government funding in years – including £356.1m for Stockport.”

The spokesperson added: “This will help Stockport deliver the high-quality services that local residents desperately need and the certainty that councils need to plan ahead.” Additionally, the government pledged up to £20m for Brinnington, one of 25 ‘trailblazer’ neighbourhoods, to kickstart community-led regeneration.

How Does This Fit Greater Manchester’s Deprivation Picture?

Stockport’s appeal underscores broader regional tensions, with Lancashire Hill’s deprivation status clashing against funding allocations. The missed Recovery Grant amplifies perceptions of inequity, as councils nationwide access support Stockport lacks. Cllr Roberts’ letter ties local woes to the Greater Manchester Strategy, warning of ripple effects.

What Savings Measures Has Stockport Already Taken?

Beyond last year’s tax and waste fee hikes, the council eyes parking fees and jobs as next steps. These follow patterns of restraint in a ‘well-managed’ authority now at breaking point. The £75m five-year gap looms over service delivery, from bin collections to social care.

Will February’s Budget Vote Bring Relief?

Elected members will decide the latest budget amid outcry. Savings targets persist, but Roberts seeks ministerial intervention pre-settlement. Residents watch as council tax burdens grow, with 66% CSP reliance projected.