Stirling Council will soon present its proposed budget for the financial year 2025-26 to council members.
The local authority has a black hole of nearly £13 million to plug.
Late last year, the council suggested various ways to save £2.6m in the future, all of which would affect public services, including support in schools, music tuition for young people, and library opening hours.
Locals were given until February 2 to have their say on the proposed cuts.
As the final decision on the next budget looms, we took a close look at how the council fared financially during 2024-25.
A new report, produced for a meeting of the council’s Finance, Economy and Corporate Support Committee on Thursday (February 6), reveals where the council overspent and underspent last year. Here’s what you should know.
Schools and learning
Overall, Stirling Council saved £357,000 last financial year in the realm of schools and learning, against a budget of over £124m.
This saving is £40,000 less than in the previous year, due to what the council calls “a worsening position relating to school meal income, offset by some additional vacancy savings within the ASN service.”
During 2024-25, the council’s additional support needs (ASN) service underspent by £109,000.
But one of the proposed budget cuts for 2025-26 is to get rid of two teachers in the ASN outreach team, which the council says would save £129,000.
This team works across the education sector to support children with complex additional support needs and medical requirements, as well as young people receiving education at home or in hospital.
During the 2024-25 financial year, early years education in the Stirling Council area underspent by £254,000, partly because fewer families used the 1,140 hours of free childcare all three, four and some two-year-olds are entitled to across Scotland.
The delayed savings from the controversial removal of the P5 swimming programme helped to save £136,000 for the broad general education service.
Roads
Stirling’s roads service reported a projected overspend of £27,000, against a budget of nearly £7.7m.
The council says this overspend is “mainly due to pressures from street lighting energy costs.”
It is expected that the overall street lighting energy cost will be £94,000 over budget.
Waste
Stirling Council’s waste service overspent by £223,000 on its £10.4m budget.
This was despite a marked increase in recycling income and a reduction in residual waste disposal and haulage costs.
It seems the removal of a free special uplift concession for over-60s also did not shift the dial when it came to making savings.
A delay in making planned and approved changes to how the waste service is run means these will only come into effect on March 4 this year.
The council calculates that this delay adds up to an extra cost of £560,000.
The number of garden waste permits sold fell last financial year, leaving an income gap of £21,000 compared to what was expected.
Residents receiving council tax reduction currently have a garden waste permit concession, but the council has suggested this could be axed in 2025-26 to save an additional £150,000.
Land
The council’s land service has reported an overspend of £155,000 against a budget of £4.3m.
Backdated pay costs for staff who tend to grounds, carry out street cleaning and cut grass make up the bulk of this overspend.
Income from cemeteries has decreased over the past few years, as more people choose options like cremation over burial. The shortfall in this area for 2024-25 is £74,000.
The cost of maintaining play areas amounted to £11,000, despite complaints from some Stirling locals last year that certain council-run playparks were not up to scratch.
Car parking
Stirling Council has saved £191,000 related to car parking by not filling parking enforcement job vacancies.
But don’t bank on there being fewer traffic wardens around, because a new recruitment process is reportedly nearing completion.
The council also reduced maintenance work on car parks, including Wellgreen Car Park to reduce its spending in this area.
Culture, events and tourism
An underspend of £116,000 against a budget of £895,000 was reported for culture, events and tourism.
Stirling Council said this saving was “mainly due to surplus income generation.”
This actually marks a drop in savings since 2023-24, as the temporary closure of the Wallace Monument for the installation of new CCTV means the council lost out on £53,000.
For more Stirling news and features visit our page or join us on Facebook
Conversation