Wandsworth sets out Spending Review decisions in fight to protect key services

The final package includes investment in cleaner and safer streets, improvements to housing services, the cancellation of a number of unaffordable or undeliverable regeneration schemes, reforms to children's services and adult social care, retention of Wandsworth's library network and significant reductions in planned borrowing. 

The review follows the first report published in July, which set out the scale of the challenge facing the Council following Government funding reform, rising costs and increasing demand for services.  

Government reforms would reduce Wandsworth’s funding by £84 million a year by the end of the three-year settlement period, more than the Council’s combined spending on parks, libraries, leisure centres, bin collection and street cleaning. 

The final report confirms a package of savings, service changes, income measures and reductions in planned borrowing. It prioritises the core neighbourhood services residents value most, including cleaner streets, safer communities, housing services, parks, libraries and support for vulnerable residents. 

The Council has warned separately that Council Tax will need to rise unless the Government rethinks its proposed cuts to Wandsworth’s funding. The Spending Review shows the steps the Council is taking locally but makes clear that local action alone cannot offset the scale of the funding reduction facing the borough. 

The final Spending Review outcomes include: 

• Investment in cleaner, safer streets, including more street cleaning, tougher action on fly-tipping, an integrated enforcement team, CCTV and 25 additional Metropolitan Police officers for Wandsworth 
• Action to strengthen housing services following the Regulator of Social Housing’s ‘C3 rating’, including work on decent homes, damp and mould, leaseholder support, homelessness prevention and temporary accommodation 
• Changes to housing regeneration schemes that are unaffordable, not supported by residents or no longer viable, including stopping planned new-build developments at Ashburton and Lennox estates, Fitzhugh Estate, Tyneham Close and Lavender Hill, and not proceeding with the proposed conversion of Morella Road into self-contained units 
• Continuation of Block A of the Alton estate, alongside a review of the wider scheme to ensure it delivers value for residents and minimises borrowing costs 
• Reforms to children’s services, including earlier intervention, family-based care, better placement commissioning and SEND reform 
• Changes to adult social care to help residents stay independent for longer, manage demand and improve value for money while protecting statutory services 
• A replacement for Access for All with a new leisure and culture concessions scheme, alongside targeted water safety training and free swimming lessons for eligible pupils 
• Retention of the existing library network 
• Suspension of the Wandsworth Grants Fund for four years, with the position kept under review 
• Stronger procurement, tighter budget monitoring, better income collection, digital improvements and reduced reliance on agency staff 
• Reductions in planned borrowing, including £39 million from the General Fund capital review and £80 million from the Housing Revenue Account capital review 

The Council expects reserve balances to be around £76 million going forwards, as they will need to be used in the short term to fund the upfront cost of change and invest to save. This minimal level of reserves provides protection against unexpected pressures or events and any lower would leave the Council financially exposed and significantly reduce its ability to adjust to any change in circumstances. 

Leader of the Council, Robert Morritt, said: 

"Today we are setting out a clear plan to protect the services residents rely on while tackling the financial challenges facing the Council. 

"We have taken difficult decisions, including stopping schemes that are no longer affordable or deliverable, reducing planned borrowing, and reshaping services so they remain sustainable into the future. 

“We have gone through the Council’s spending line by line to protect the services residents rely on, and make sure every pound is focused on value for money. 

“There are difficult choices in this report, but there are also clear priorities: cleaner streets, safer communities, stronger housing services, support for vulnerable residents and action to put the Council back on a sustainable financial footing. 

“But we should be clear: local action alone cannot make up for the scale of the Government’s proposed funding cuts. That is why we are continuing to fight for a fair deal for Wandsworth and why residents’ voices are so important as we make the case to ministers.” 

Residents are being encouraged to share their views on which services matter most to them as the Council continues to make the case to Government and prepares final budget proposals. 

The feedback will help inform local decisions and support Wandsworth’s lobbying for a fairer funding settlement through the Autumn Budget and a Sustainable Communities Act proposal with other London boroughs, from across the political spectrum.  

Final Council Tax levels and budget proposals will be confirmed through the Council’s formal budget-setting process in March 2027. Individual proposals from the Spending Review will go through the appropriate committee, scrutiny and Cabinet processes before final decisions are made. 

Residents can read the full Spending Review report and take part in the engagement exercise.