Big projects in Wakefield may be axed after COVID-19 pandemic ends

Senior councillors will discuss the authority's post-pandemic finances on Tuesday. | Getty

Big infrastructure projects in the Wakefield district may be postponed or shelved altogether after the coronavirus pandemic.

Wakefield Council set out a £416m four-year programme of works in February.

That included money for schools, new transport networks and routes, as well as cash for council houses and the environment.

But the council is now facing a £20m gap in its finances after spending big on fighting the coronavirus crisis.

A 416m programme of works had been set aside in February, although some of that has already been spent. | jpimedia

That could become £40m, the local authority's leader said on Monday, if the likes of leisure centres and car parks remain empty for the foreseeable future.

As a result, the council will set a new budget in September, which is likely to see some of its ambitions from earlier this year cut short.

It's currently unclear which ones may be axed, though Coun Jeffery said a pledge to become carbon neutral and build more council houses would remain at the top of her agenda.

Speaking on Monday, Councillor Jeffery warned: "It's going to be a tough situation.

Coun Jeffery said she did not want residents to pay more tax, as she announced a new budget will be set in September. | jpimedia

"I know a lot of councils elsewhere have been saying they're facing bankruptcy.

"We're not in that kind of crisis, because we've got very good financial foundations in Wakefield.

"But we will have to set a revised budget because we need to look again at what we can and can't deliver."

Councillor Jeffery hinted that a further rise in council tax for residents would be ruled out for September, following a 3.99 per cent hike earlier this year, taking effect from April.

"I don't want people in Wakefield to suffer," she added.

"We should be very careful how we do things. We don't want people paying more taxes.

"We shall just have to manage the budget as best we can.

"Some of the schemes we wanted to do were match funded (where the cost is split between two parties).

"In a lot of cases we won't be able to put up the funding ourselves anymore.

"Our climate change pledge and building more council houses were the two priorities for me and Jack (Hemingway, deputy leader) when we started and I don't want to lose those.

"Along with looking after our people, and we really need to look after them now more than ever, that's what I want to do."

Local Democracy Reporting Service