Middlesbrough Council has today received confirmation its application for Exceptional Financial Support has been granted by the Government.
The Council had applied to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in January to bridge a budget shortfall.
Exceptional Financial Support allows councils the ability to borrow money to fund day-to-day spending in 2024/25 only, in a way not usually permitted.
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said: “This is welcome news and key to our budget setting for 2024/25.
“Subject to confirmation by the Council, this authorisation from government allows us to borrow money to fund some day-to-day spending, in a way we wouldn’t otherwise be able to.
“My plan to recover, reset and deliver for the people of Middlesbrough relies on us being able to transform the way the Council provides services.
“This decision from government acknowledges there’s a plan in place and allows us some breathing space to put it into action.
“Looking further ahead, we need longer term financial settlements from government that take away some of the uncertainty councils up and down the country are facing each year.”
Middlesbrough Council Chief Executive Clive Heaphy said: “Our application to government was carefully considered and constructed and made clear that the need to have permission to borrow in this way is part of a wider plan to transform the Council for the future.
“I’d like to thank officials at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for working with us and for their advice.
“We must deliver the best possible services within the resources we have available and develop our plans to make some of our most expensive services more sustainable so that the Council can look to the future with more certainty.”
The Council's 2024/25 budget, which identifies savings of more than £14m, will be voted upon by Councillors at a full council meeting on Friday, March 8.