Overview

• Official figures analysed by the BBC show local authority debt rose by about £7.8bn in the year to April 2025 to £122.2bn, equal to roughly £1,791 per resident.
• The BBC Shared Data Unit reports a near tripling of short‑term central government lending, with some councils using it to cover revenue gaps rather than long‑term investment.
• Surrey County Council’s borrowing jumped by nearly 48% to £1.07bn, Wolverhampton’s rose by £103m to £879m, and North East councils’ combined debt increased by £198.6m to £4.35bn.
• Solihull’s debt stands at £349m after receiving £32m in emergency finance in February, while Woking remains the highest per‑capita debtor at £20,601, ahead of Spelthorne at £10,252.
• Some authorities reduced exposure, including Buckinghamshire (down £7.1m) and Dudley (down £39.2m), as ministers label the system broken, announce £3.4bn in extra grants, and pledge wider funding reform.