Members of Lancashire County Council cabinet heard last week that the council is facing significant financial pressures, including rising demand for services, increasing costs, and limited government funding.

Over the past year the council has taken steps to develop an initial view as to the budget shortfall for 2026/27.

The council is presently forecasting it will need to save at least £100m over the next three years to ensure that essential services are delivered.

A range of savings opportunities have been identified to meet this challenge. The figures will continue to adjust as fresh information becomes available from central Government – this is expected in late December.

Decisions on the budget will be taken on February 26 at a meeting of the Full Council.

To help with thinking about the budget, residents, businesses, and community groups will be asked about how the council spends its budget.

Councillors agreed to launch a public consultation, which will include an online survey and an interactive budget simulator.

These tools will allow people to share their views and even try balancing the council’s budget themselves, highlighting the tough choices involved.

Coun Stephen Atkinson, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: "We know that times are tough, and have never been tougher for local government because of real-term cuts to funding and a huge increase in demand.

"We are working hard to make sure the right decisions are made and people’s council tax is used wisely.

"At the same time, we are committed to making this council the best in the country.

"We have launched an Efficiency Review and by working smarter and identifying savings, we can continue to offer high-quality services.

"We also know we have some very difficult decisions to make, which is why we’re asking people for their views on our budget. This feedback really matters, so we are hoping residents and stakeholders will take a few minutes to fill in our survey.

"Things are changing and it’s important to us that everyone is kept involved as we continue to transform the way we work in the months ahead.

"Together, we can build a council that is innovative, transparent, and focused on what matters most to our communities. Every penny counts towards building a better Lancashire for residents and businesses."

Find out more about the consultation at https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/finance/planning-the-councils-budget/