WARRINGTON Borough Council is currently forecasting an overspend of almost £28 million.

That is down £1million on its last estimate last month.

A period five budget monitoring forecast report came before the cabinet at its meeting on Monday.

The purpose of it was to update the cabinet on the budget forecast position at period five, which ‘accounts for spend to the end of August 2024’.

According to the report, in February 2024 the council approved a budget of £194.292 million for the 2024-25 financial year – which included savings targets of £15.9 million.

It added: “The budget monitoring process undertaken for quarter one, which accounted for spend for the first three months of the financial year, resulted in a forecast overspend of £28.985m.

“It was decided to introduce a programme of monthly budget monitoring by exception, with a focus on the main volatile, risk areas across the authority, over and above the standard council wide quarterly budget monitoring process. This report presents the position as of August (period five).

“The updated forecast at period five indicates an improvement of £1.130m across the council, therefore the revised forecast at period five is a forecast overspend of £27.855m.”

The cabinet noted the forecast outturn, as at period five, of a £27.855 million overspend.