We reviewed the pre-Reform UK Lancashire County Council’s 2025/26 Budget, identifying structural financial risks, acute pressures in social care, and an overreliance on reserves and agency staffing. Despite modest short-term stability, the council’s growing demand profile and limited discretionary flexibility raise serious concerns about long-term sustainability, workforce resilience, and the deliverability of planned savings.

We reviewed Hampshire County Council’s 2025/26 Budget, highlighting major funding shifts, limited performance accountability, and growing financial risks. Our findings raise concerns about long-term sustainability and strategic coherence.

We reviewed West Northamptonshire Council’s 2025/26 Budget and Fiscal Plan, identifying a £57.5 million funding gap by 2029/30 and limited evidence of strategic reform. Our analysis flags serious risks around reserve reliance, underdeveloped capital planning, and service pressures in Adult Social Care.