Our financial challenges
Bury Council is confronting one of the toughest financial challenges in its history due to the difficult economic context
Despite this, the council remains committed to protecting vital services and building a sustainable future for our borough.
The council has approved a draft budget for 2026/7 for consultation before the final budget is approved in February.
The challenges
Like councils across the country, Bury faces rising costs and increasing demand, particularly in adults’ and children’s social care, where more people than ever need support.
Around 70 per cent of our budget is spent on these demand-led services, making sure the most vulnerable residents are cared for.
This comes on top of £140m already taken out of the budget in recent years.
Current position
Proposals for savings and budget reductions were presented to Bury Council’s Cabinet on 3 December 2025
Despite increasingly strong financial management, there is a £16m gap between what we spend and what we bring in.
This is a huge deficit – but the council has already identified £8.5m of savings and has a clear plan to close the remaining £7.5m and create a stable and sustainable financial platform.
We have a legal duty to set a balanced budget each year, so we are identifying potential savings, to keep essential services running.
The council has some reserves which it will be using to support the budget this year, but these funds can only be used once – as with any savings.
Have your say
Your views in this consultation will help shape our budget for 2025/26.
The consultation is open between Thurs 4 December to Monday 19 January
Look at our proposals and complete our survey.
If you need to access the survey in a different format, please send an email to engagement@bury.gov.uk