Council Tax narrative challenged as Town Hall finally admit local financial risks

AN independent councillor has raised concerns over the way Warrington Borough Council is framing its financial position, with the authority seeking a 20-year government loan to remain financially sustainable.

The issue follows a recent Wordwide article outlining the council’s plans, which stated that Warrington has “one of the region’s lowest council tax rates” and that its Band D rate of £1,867.80 is around £51 lower than comparable councils.
However, Independent councillor Stuart Mann has questioned whether this comparison gives residents a clear or complete picture, warning that it risks being used to justify a significant council tax rise, potentially well above five per cent.
“I’ve heard this line about Warrington having one of the lowest Band D rates four times in the last week alone, and I’m sure it won’t be the last,” Cllr Mann said.
“The problem is that this figure isn’t what residents actually pay.”
He explained that the £1,867.80 figure refers only to the borough council element of council tax and does not include police, fire or other precepts.

“Once everything is added together, the real Band D bill in Warrington is around £2,280. That’s the number residents care about — not the sum of its parts,” he said.
When compared with councils that share similar characteristics — including St Helens, Cheshire East, Wigan and Trafford — Warrington’s total Band D charge is broadly in line with neighbouring authorities, rather than significantly lower.
Cllr Mann said this raised concerns that selective comparisons were being used to “soften the ground” ahead of difficult budget decisions.
“Most households don’t sit down and break their council tax bill into components. They look at the total amount leaving their bank account.
“Whilst I accept the council can only control the element it sets, framing the debate around one part of the bill feels like a weak justification for asking residents to pay more.”

Admission of Local Financial Risks
The concerns are sharpened by an admission contained within the council’s own statement, which acknowledged that local factors are contributing to the authority’s financial difficulties.
The article states:“However, we also need to acknowledge that we have specific local issues that are driving some of our financial challenges, linked to risks around our commercial programme and our unaudited accounts.”

Cllr Mann described this as a “critically important admission”.
“For years, residents were repeatedly reassured that the council’s financial strategy was sound,” he said.
“They were told that commercial investments were prudent, well-managed, and generating income to protect frontline services.”
Over the past decade, successive Labour administrations publicly emphasised that Warrington’s borrowing and investment approach was value-for-money, that it generated tens of millions of pounds each year, and that the council’s finances were under control.
Senior Labour figures also sought to rebut claims that the authority faced serious financial risk, insisting that borrowing was secured against assets and that the council was not heading towards bankruptcy.
Cllr Mann said the latest admission marked a significant and refreshing shift in tone.
“This confirms that local decisions and local risks were then and are now a major part of the problem,” he said.
“That’s a very different message to the one residents were given for a long time.”

Accountability and Transparency
While acknowledging that government funding pressures and rising demand for services are affecting councils across the country, Cllr Mann said this should not be used to obscure local accountability.
“It’s perfectly possible for both things to be true — that national funding has been cut, and that local decisions have contributed to where we are today. Residents deserve honesty about both.”
He added that transparency would be essential in the weeks ahead as the council moves towards setting its budget.
“If council tax is going to rise sharply, people need to understand exactly why, what alternatives were considered, and how the council plans to avoid ending up in the same position again in a few years’ time.”