Bury Council has revealed how it intends to close a £35m budget ‘black hole’ over the next three years, with measures including dimmed streetlights and charges introduced at free car parks.

The council’s cabinet has approved a proposed budget for 2025/26 for public consultation. Among the measures to save or generate cash are to dim many of the borough’s streetlights by 50 per cent.

The proposal would see some lights across Bury turned down between midnight and 6am to save on energy costs. It is one of a number budget-saving measures that have been put before Bury Council as the authority looks to plug the £35m shortfall.

Another proposal is a review into whether a flat £2 charge could be brought in at some of the council’s 40 free car parks. This will look into whether fees could be brought in at sites in the towns of Prestwich, Radcliffe, Whitefield, Tottington and Ramsbottom, without affecting the “vibrancy” of each town.

Other measures being put forward include cutting some senior roles within the authority through redundancy and early retirement

It is understood the review of district car parking will only aim to introduce charges where it is ‘commercially viable’. The move is expected to generate about £126,000 in revenue, while dimming streetlights would save about £209,000 per year in energy costs.

The budget-saving measures come as town hall finance chiefs in Bury warned that tough decisions would need to be made as they start the process to set a budget for 2025/26. Potential savings of £9.4m have been identified, the authority has said, adding other measures would reduce the remaining gap to about £22m.

The public consultation will run until December 23 and the council said all residents are encouraged to have their say on the recommendations and how savings can be made within the council. Coun Sean Thorpe, cabinet member for finance, said: “We understand how important it is for the people of Bury to understand and be involved in our budget decisions.

“We are, again, faced with huge challenges caused by insufficient funding, huge increases in costs, and an ever-increasing demand for services, particularly in adults’ and children’s social care which together take up nearly three-quarters of our budget. “We are in the bottom 20 per cent for council funding, and our spending power in real terms has been slashed over the past decade. We have already found £150 million in savings over that period.

“Bury is not alone in this challenge – it’s a serious problem faced by many councils across the country, who have been underfunded for more than a decade. The only long-term solution is a complete review of the way councils are funded, something that was promised years ago, and which we and others have long called for.”

Coun Eamonn O’Brien, leader of the council, said: “Bury is one of many councils facing a significant budget challenge. We are seeking to manage this through a mixture of cost savings and economic growth from investment, with major regeneration projects underway in Radcliffe, Bury and Prestwich. “We want to hear from residents about how the council continues to invest in the borough whilst managing diminishing resources. This is our home, and we all want to ensure that our borough thrives for generations to come.”

Other savings over the three year period include a review of the non-statutory services the council provides. The council said they would ‘identify the current cost of all non-statutory services currently being provided and options for cost reductions’.

There are £1.5m of savings linked to the increasing costs of children’s social care. The council said the savings can be made through ‘keeping families together wherever possible’ and ‘meeting care needs in the most cost-effective way possible with the creation of council-owned residential children’s homes’.

Have your say on Bury’s https://www.bury.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/budgets-and-spending/budget-consultation-20252026