A message from the City Mayor of Salford, Paul Dennett

Welcome to your latest edition of Life in Salford. I’m pleased to be able to update you on our budget plans for the next financial year, and how we will spend public money to provide important services to residents.

In this edition, you’ll also find updates on our corporate plan (page ten), our success in delivering affordable homes through our housing company Dérive (page eight), and major infrastructure improvements including Chapel Street, New Bailey, and Salford Rise (page 15), alongside other updates.

As City Mayor, my focus is on delivering a fair and balanced budget that protects the most vulnerable while investing in our communities. This year, Salford City Council has set a £394 million budget to support residents, communities, and businesses in a challenging financial climate.

At its core, this budget prioritises children’s services, adult social care, and public health, with 64% of the total funding - £251 million - dedicated to these areas. Supporting vulnerable adults and children, particularly the 560 in care, is one of our most critical functions. These services transform lives, which is why they remain at the heart of our spending priorities.

The budget avoids cuts to services and protects jobs. To achieve this, we’ve made tough decisions, including a 2.99% council tax increase and a 2% rise in the social care precept to cover the growing costs of adult social care. For the majority of Salford residents in Band A homes, this means an increase of just £1.25 per week.

Alongside council tax, this budget is supported by vital government grants, including a £9.7 million Recovery Grant, £5.2 million social care grant, and £2 million for preventative support to children’s services. A £4.7 million New Homes Bonus further helps us maintain services while addressing growing demands in key areas.

Supporting children and families remains a priority. This budget increases funding for school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), raising the total investment in this service to £10.477 million. We are also funding short breaks for SEND families and supporting Salford Family Nurseries to ensure children get the care and opportunities they deserve.

We’re also investing more in adult social care, ensuring essential care packages are available and that care workers receive a Foundation Living Wage - recognising the vital role they play in our community.

Homelessness prevention is another key focus. While we’ve received £6.5 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, rising demand and the cost of temporary accommodation mean further investment is needed.

Safe, stable housing is the foundation of good health and wellbeing, which is why our long-term investment in truly affordable social housing through Dérive is so important.

Beyond immediate needs, this budget invests in Salford’s future. For example, funding for new street-cleaning vehicles and staff supports our commitment to a cleaner, greener city.

We’re also building on last year’s successes in supporting residents and communities. Over winter, we delivered £432,000 in Winter Support Payments to over 2,000 elderly households, helping them stay warm. Our Welfare Rights Service secured over £9 million in financial gains for residents, while thousands more received help through the Salford Assist scheme. Read more about the support available on page two.

We’ve also supported the iconic Salford Lads and Girls’ Club and exceeded expectations in housing delivery, with nearly 8,000 new homes built between 2020 and 2023 - more than double our target.

Our budget is the first since the Labour government was elected last summer, and we’ve benefited from an improved financial settlement. However, we can’t ignore the financial pressures we still face. While this year’s funding settlement is a step forward, it doesn’t undo the damage of over a decade of underfunding. There remains uncertainty about long-term funding for local government, particularly as the growing demands of social care continue to strain council budgets.

Delivering a no-cuts budget reflects what can be achieved with careful planning, targeted investment, and a commitment to fairness. It’s a positive step, but we must keep pushing for a funding model that fully supports local authorities like ours.

Salford has repeatedly shown that we can deliver for residents, even in tough times. This budget enables us to do just that - supporting the most vulnerable, tackling inequality, and building a fairer city for all.

City Mayor Paul Dennett