Pulling Back the Curtain on Council Finances
Every year, councils put up council tax, cut services, and tell residents there’s no money left. But behind the scenes, many councils borrow millions — sometimes hundreds of millions — from the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB). That debt sits quietly in the background while residents are told they must “tighten their belts.”
To expose how this really works, we’ve started filing Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. These requests demand councils disclose:
The full value of their PWLB loans, including dates, interest rates, and repayment terms.
How much they’ve actually repaid each year, split between principal and interest.
The so-called “losses” on their accounts — breaking them down into paper write-downs on property values versus real cash deficits.
Whether council tax receipts are being used to meet PWLB loan repayments instead of frontline services.
The names of the senior finance officers legally responsible for signing off the accounts.
These aren’t optional questions. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, councils must answer within 20 working days. If they don’t, or if they try to dodge with vague answers, we’ll escalate it to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Why this matters
When councils run property subsidiaries, shuffle losses around, and borrow heavily while raising taxes, it leaves residents paying more but receiving less. FOI is one of the few tools that forces them to put the numbers on the table.
This isn’t just about one council. It’s about a nationwide pattern: loans, losses, and accounting spin that keeps taxpayers in the dark.
Next steps
As the FOI responses come back, we’ll log them, publish them, and break down what they really mean. Each reply will be added to The Truth Ledger — building a public record of where money is borrowed, where it flows, and how much of it ultimately comes from the taxpayer’s pocket.
The message is simple: if councils won’t give the public a straight ledger, we’ll build one ourselves.
