Council saves taxpayers one million in six months and pays off 15 million of its debt without affecting services
Posted on Monday 24th November 2025
One million pounds has been saved in just six months by Staffordshire County Council by using cash reserves instead of borrowing.
The savings were made by using the council’s existing cash reserves, rather than borrowing additional loans from external lenders. In the same six-month period, the council also repaid a £15 million loan early due to the lender increasing the interest rate payable on the loan.
Chris Large, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources at Staffordshire County Council, said:
Making sure that the county council is run as efficiently as possible and that its finances are well managed remains our priority. I made this commitment from day 1 to improve efficiency and reduce the debt. This means making every penny count to benefit Staffordshire residents.
Our latest Treasury Management Report makes good reading and shows how we’re managing council finances responsibly and prudently, putting taxpayers first.
By using some of our own cash reserves instead of borrowing at higher rates of interest and paying off a £15 million loan early, we’ve been able to save around £1 million in six months. That’s the equivalent of 14 social workers for a year, resurfacing 20,000 square meters of road or supporting hundreds more children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
We continue to spend and invest carefully, looking where savings can be made, while focusing on our priorities and targeting our resources where they are most needed.”