Merton Council is grappling with a £2.5 million overspend, triggered by rising demands for essential services and inflationary pressures. The council's Cabinet convened on Monday, 23 June 2025, to address the concerning financial outturn for the 2024/25 financial year.

The Financial Outturn Report 2024/25, considered by the Cabinet, revealed that the overall unfavorable outturn reached £2.521 million, representing 1.2% of the general fund budget. Key factors contributing to this deficit include increased demand for temporary accommodation and significant inflationary pressures impacting the supply of goods and services.

![Line chart showing placements from April to March for the years 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25.](https://opencouncil.network/rails/activestorage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBM0JOQWc9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--ee335204d96d56061f3027cc6288155806ca4fed/page30Figure_0.jpeg Line chart showing placements from April to March for the years 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25.

Several departments within the council experienced budgetary challenges. The Housing & Sustainable Development department reported an adverse variance of £5.347 million, while the CLLF directorate faced a £3.717 million unfavorable position. The Environment, Civic Pride and Climate directorate also reported an overspend of £2.867 million.

Despite these challenges, some departments managed to improve their financial positions. The Finance and Digital directorate recorded an underspend of £726,000, and the Innovation and Change directorate reported a £622,000 underspend. The Adult Social Care, Integrated Care and Public Health (ASC, IC &PH) also showed a favorable variance of £0.483 million.

To mitigate the growing housing crisis, the Cabinet considered a report on acquiring temporary accommodation, approving a revenue budget of £56,113 from the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF). The report highlighted a sharp increase in households requiring temporary accommodation, rising from 350 in 2023 to 700 in 2025. The Cabinet delegated authority to the Executive Director of Housing & Sustainable Development and the Executive Director for Finance and Digital to acquire properties and apply funding under the conditions of the LAHF.

The Cabinet also addressed the future of grounds maintenance and park-related activities, agreeing to seek competitive tenders for a new grounds maintenance contract commencing in November 2026. The proposed contract length would be 14 years (7+7 years).