Oldham Council has approved its 2026 budget with £12 million allocated to children's social care and £18 million for local roads, plus an additional £2 million from council capital. The budget includes a 5% council tax increase and introduces a £10 per item bulky waste collection fee. New initiatives include a Rapid Action Team to tackle fly-tipping and £100,000 for youth services across districts. The council has achieved a balanced budget without using reserves for the second consecutive year and reduced council borrowing. Leader Cllr Arooj Shah described it as 'first and foremost about protecting the people of Oldham,' while Deputy Leader Cllr Abdul Jabbar highlighted the council's financial stability and plan to rebuild reserves.
Oldham council approved a 4.99% council tax increase and £8m in cuts to address a £20m budget gap caused by rising costs in adult social care, children's services, and emergency homeless accommodation. The budget includes a 10% average increase on service fees, with Band A properties facing an £82 rise to £1,717 annually. Council leader Cllr Arooj Shah said the increase was necessary to avoid service cuts for vulnerable residents. The budget also allocates £12m each to adult and children's social care, increases road maintenance spending, and creates a rapid action task force to tackle fly-tipping. Liberal Democrats criticised the council for failing to deliver promised savings and not addressing social care adequately.
Oldham Council has approved a 4.99% council tax increase and £8m in cuts for 2026/27 to address a £20m funding shortfall. The budget includes £29m in additional funding from government policy changes, but rising costs in adult and children's social care (£14m over budget) and homelessness (£4.6m extra) remain challenging. Council leader Arooj Shah highlighted planned investments in social care, road maintenance, youth services, and a fly-tipping response team. The budget will be voted on by the full council on March 4.