Wiltshire Council formally reports on its 2023/24 financial position – with additional money available to be reinvested in key services
In stark contrast to neighbouring local authorities, Wiltshire Council’s sound and effective financial management continues, with a £14m revenue underspend formally reported for 2023/24 – this is a £5.705m improvement on the quarter three position, and this additional money will be channelled into further additional highways enhancements and other projects.
Alongside this underspend total, a further £5m of Community Infrastructure Levy contributions will also be added, meaning the total additional investment into highways stands at £10.7m, while over the course of 2023/24, a total of over £20m additional investment has now been identified and allocated to highway improvements, including road surfacing, road safety and highways flooding alleviation works.
When including the amounts allocated from the council’s Business Plan Priority Reserve, an additional total investment of over £25m has been made available to be spent on delivering against its priorities.
Overall, the revenue outturn position for 2023/24, which was presented to Cabinet on 15 July, shows a robust and sustainable financial position for the council that allows the authority to invest in its services, rather than simply maintain them.