Stockport Council Urges Government For £40m Funding Support 2026

Key Points

• Stockport Council is appealing for £40 million in extra funding from the Government.
• This appeal is for £28 million to make up for what it claims is an unjust funding settlement and £12 million over two years to change its high-cost services and make savings.
• Councillor Mark Roberts, Leader of the Council, and Michael Cullen, Chief Executive, have addressed ministers saying that Stockport is not looking for a bailout but help for a well-run authority.
• Stockport claims to get £1,206 per head, compared with an England-wide average of about £1,424.
• It expects a 7.53 per cent increase in funding compared with the average of 15.52 per cent nationally and 19.8 per cent in metro boroughs.
• According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Stockport will get £356.3 million in 2026/27, which is an increase of 10.7 per cent from 2024.
• Deputy Leader of the Council, Coun Jilly Julian, said that “the pie is too small” and the funding settlement for Stockport is poor compared with others.
• Labour MP for Stockport, Navendu Mishra, supported a better funding settlement but criticized the Liberal Democrats’ use of money and legal challenge to developments.

Stockport (Manchester Mirror) October 24, 2026 — Stockport Council has formally demanded £40 million from the Government led by Andy Burnham, arguing that its current funding allocation has not kept pace with rising social care costs and other statutory pressures.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, council leader Coun Mark Roberts and chief executive Michael Cullen have written to ministers seeking the additional money. The council says the request is intended to secure fair funding for a borough it describes as successful, rather than to rescue a failing authority.

The local authority is asking for £28 million, which it believes would help level the funding position between Stockport and other councils. It is also seeking £12 million over two years to redesign high-cost services and deliver savings.

Stockport Council says it currently has approximately £1,206 available for each resident, compared with a national average of about £1,424. It expects that gap to widen by the financial year 2028/29.

Why Is Stockport Council Asking For More Money?

The council says the central issue is the rising cost of mandatory services, particularly social care, at a time when its funding settlement has grown more slowly than that of comparable authorities.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Stockport anticipates a funding increase of 7.53 per cent. By comparison, the average increase across England is 15.52 per cent, while metropolitan boroughs are expected to receive a 19.8 per cent rise.

Coun Jilly Julian, deputy leader of Stockport Council, said the authority was “leveraging every available option” to secure more resources. As quoted by the Manchester Evening News, she said: “It’s not about how we divide the pie; it’s that the pie itself is too small.”

She added that every local government body was seeking more funding, but argued that Stockport had a particular case because of the scale of its pressures and the relative size of its settlement.

What Has Stockport Council Said?

In its correspondence with the Government, Coun Roberts and Mr Cullen said Stockport was delivering major regeneration, building homes, reforming public services, investing in prevention and managing its finances carefully.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, they wrote: “We are executing the UK’s largest town centre regeneration initiative, constructing new residences, reforming public services, investing in preventive measures, and managing our finances prudently.”

The council leaders also referred to Andy Burnham’s repeated praise of Stockport as an example of growth, ambition and effective delivery. They said the borough had made savings, controlled spending and redesigned services, but that rising statutory demands and insufficient funding were creating a structural deficit.

“We are not imploring the Government to salvage a failing council. We are requesting the Government to support a successful one,” the council leaders said, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Coun Julian said the appeal was not political. She said the council hoped the Government would “assist us before that assistance becomes significantly more costly”.

How Does The Government Respond?

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said Stockport Council is due to receive £356.3 million in 2026/27 to provide public services for residents.

A Government spokesperson said this represented a 10.7 per cent increase compared with 2024. The department said the funding formed part of efforts to reform what it described as an outdated funding model and direct resources where they are most needed.

“Thanks to our reforms, nine out of ten councils will receive funding that closely aligns with their relative needs, compared to only about a third previously,” the spokesperson said, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.

The Government did not announce any immediate agreement to the council’s £40 million request.

Could Stockport Need Emergency Support?

Stockport Council does not expect to require emergency financial assistance in the way Bury has this year. However, the Manchester Evening News reports that, if such support became necessary in future, the council would be required to repay it, adding further pressure to its finances.

The council’s concern is that continued funding pressure could force it to rely on council tax increases to meet social care costs and address deprivation in parts of the borough.

Town hall leaders argue that any increase in funding is likely to be accompanied by a corresponding rise in council tax, placing more of the burden on local taxpayers.

What Has Stockport’s MP Said?

Stockport Labour MP Navendu Mishra said the Government should provide a fairer settlement for Stockport and address the council’s financial pressures. However, he also criticised the Liberal Democrat-run authority.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Mr Mishra accused the Liberal Democrats of overlooking “the role they played in creating the challenges that local government continues to face”, in a reference to the party’s involvement in the coalition government between 2010 and 2015.

He said Stockport Council needed to take responsibility for its own decisions and its use of taxpayer funds. Mr Mishra also criticised the administration’s pursuit of legal challenges against developments, saying nearly 10,000 families were awaiting housing in Stockport.

“It is essential for Stockport Council to take accountability for its own decisions and how it allocates taxpayer funds,” he said, according to the Manchester Evening News.

How Have The Liberal Democrats Responded?

The Liberal Democrats defended the legal actions, saying they were necessary to protect Stockport’s rural areas and respond to concerns raised by residents, including in Bramhall.

Coun Julian rejected criticism linked to the coalition government, saying the argument was “nearly old enough to drive”. She said her son was studying the coalition government in his GCSE History class.

“My son is studying the coalition government in his GCSE History class,” she said, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News. “I am determined to advocate for Stockport’s needs and those that will arise in the future, which I believe matter more to most of our residents.”

Background Of The Development

Stockport Council is responsible for statutory services including social care, housing support, waste collection, planning and local regeneration. Like many councils, it faces rising demand and cost pressures in adult and children’s social care, which are largely unavoidable areas of spending.

The council has been pursuing a major regeneration programme in Stockport town centre, which local leaders describe as the UK’s largest town centre regeneration initiative. At the same time, the authority says it has made savings and reformed services to manage its budget.

The funding dispute reflects a wider tension between local authorities and central government over how money is distributed. Stockport’s request comes as councils across England seek greater certainty over long-term funding, particularly where social care demand and deprivation are increasing.

Prediction: What This Means For Stockport Residents

For Stockport residents, the immediate effect of the funding dispute is likely to be continued pressure on council finances. If the Government does not provide the requested £40 million, the council may need to rely more heavily on savings, service redesign, regeneration income and council tax increases.

Residents who depend on social care could be particularly affected if demand continues to rise faster than funding. The council’s argument suggests that services for older people, disabled residents, children and families may face increasing financial strain.

For taxpayers, the key issue is whether additional funding from Government reduces the need for local council tax rises. The council has indicated that funding increases may otherwise be accompanied by higher council tax, meaning residents could bear more of the cost of social care and local services.

For businesses and developers, Stockport’s regeneration programme remains central to the borough’s economic strategy. Continued investment in the town centre, housing and public services could support growth, but the council’s funding position may influence how quickly it can deliver future projects.