Money is tight
£15.9m
published forecast
The council says it still needs to find this much. It is not money already missing from the bank.
Council accountability · Checked 2026-08-02
West Dunbartonshire Council: what was promised and what happened
West Dunbartonshire identified a £15.9m gap in its 2026/27 budget and planned £5.4m of savings. Audit Scotland says the council has no single programme, so it is hard to see the total cost and results. Many savings were tied to reducing local services.
What this means
West Dunbartonshire Council has money coming in. It also faces £15.9m in the published forecast. No result has been checked for this record yet. is shown separately from the council’s own figures.
This page keeps difficult findings visible without turning a forecast, a target or a count into something it does not mean. Open the source links when you want the full detail.
Words with a dotted underline have a quick explanation. Hover or tap them.
The headline
Three things to know
If you only read one part, read this. The detailed figures and official source links come after it.
Targets missed
—
not checked yet
There is no checked service target in this record yet.
Still unanswered
4
things to check
We show what the public evidence does not answer yet, instead of guessing.
Follow the money
What the published figures say
A is not the same thing as money left to spend. A is money the council says it still needs to find, not a bill already unpaid. A number is a forecast. An is what really happened after the year ended. pays for everyday services. A pays for big, long-term things.
Money planned for everyday council services
£325.7m
2026/27 budget
Audit Scotland reports a budget of £325.7m for West Dunbartonshire Council in 2026/27. This is the council's main day-to-day pot for services. It is a budget, not the final amount spent.
Source: Local government budgets 2026/27
before measures
Projected £15.9m
2026/27 budget setting
When the budget was set, West Dunbartonshire Council reported a £15.9m gap before its other measures were counted. This is a forecast at budget time, not money already missing from a bank account.
Source: Local government budgets 2026/27
Approved savings in the budget
£5.4m
2026/27
The budget lists £5.4m of approved savings. Savings can mean service changes, staff changes or other reductions; this record does not assume what each one means without the council's individual papers.
Source: Local government budgets 2026/27
Other measures used in the budget
£10.5m
2026/27
The council listed another £10.5m of measures. Audit Scotland says this can include council tax, extra income, and other actions, so it is not all a cut to services.
Source: Local government budgets 2026/27
The missing evidence
What we still do not know about services
A is what the council promised. The reported result is what happened. We keep them side by side and flag it when the two figures cannot be compared fairly.
Red means the source says a target was missed or a matter is still open. Green means the target was met or the action is marked complete. Grey means there is not enough evidence for a firm result.
No comparable service target has been verified for this council yet. That is a research gap, not proof that every target was met.
Outside checks
What the auditors found
These are checks by people outside the council: Audit Scotland, the Accounts Commission and the Scottish Housing Regulator. An is a point they recorded after checking the books or how a service works. is the formal name for one of those checks. It is not a gold star for every service.
Audit Scotland / Accounts Commission · 2026-01
There is no single plan showing all work
Audit Scotland said West Dunbartonshire's work was spread across individual projects rather than one joined-up programme. That makes it difficult to measure the total cost, savings and effect on services.
What was recommended: Bring the projects together in one programme with clear costs, savings, milestones and results.
Source: West Dunbartonshire Council Best Value thematic work 2024/25
Audit Scotland / Accounts Commission · 2026-01
Budget gaps were mainly being closed by reducing services
The audit reviewed 57 savings options and found most were reductions in education, roads, parks, street cleaning, environmental work, leisure and community services. It said the council recognised these changes would not fully solve its medium- and long-term financial problems.
What was recommended: Show residents the service effect and long-term value of each saving option before decisions are made.
Source: West Dunbartonshire Council Best Value thematic work 2024/25
2 findings remain marked open in this record. That is a status from the source, not a claim that nothing has changed since publication.
What your council said it would do
Promises and deadlines
A is something the council said it would do. We look for a date, an owner and later proof. Saying it in a plan is not the same as finishing it.
Create one joined-up programme
Needs new evidenceBring separate change projects into one programme so elected members and residents can see the total cost and results.
- Owner:
- The council and its senior officers
- Due:
- Not published
Audit Scotland made this a recommendation. No later public programme report is included here.
Source: West Dunbartonshire Council Best Value thematic work 2024/25
Show what service reductions mean locally
Needs new evidencePublish the likely effect of savings on education, roads, environmental services, leisure and community facilities.
- Owner:
- The council and its senior officers
- Due:
- Not published
The audit says impact reporting is limited. This record does not assume the gap has been fixed.
Source: West Dunbartonshire Council Best Value thematic work 2024/25
What we still do not know
This is a first, source-complete record, not a claim that every council decision is covered. These gaps stay visible so the page cannot pretend to know more than the evidence supports.
- Audit Scotland warns that councils describe budget gaps and measures differently, so this figure should not be treated as a league table.
- The service reductions are taken from the audit's review of budget options. A full list of final decisions and actual savings is still needed.
- This record does not yet include service-by-service targets or results for poverty, housing, education, roads and social care.
- No individual councillor is attributed with a service result without a documented decision trail.
Show the 2 official sources
- 01Local government budgets 2026/27
Audit Scotland / Accounts Commission · 2026-06-11
The , the identified when the 2026/27 budget was set, approved savings and other measures. Audit Scotland says these figures come from council data returns and should be compared with care because councils describe gaps and measures in different ways.
- 02West Dunbartonshire Council Best Value thematic work 2024/25
Audit Scotland / Accounts Commission · 2026-01
The review's findings on planning, financial sustainability, oversight and service reductions.
Council officers and elected members can send corrections or a response through the contact page. Confirmed changes will be dated and recorded here.
Straight answers
Questions people ask
How much money does West Dunbartonshire Council receive?
West Dunbartonshire Council has £325.7m listed under Money planned for everyday council services for 2026/27 budget. It is a budget or allocation, not proof of the final amount spent, and the other figures on this page are kept separate.
Has West Dunbartonshire Council missed any targets?
No service-target result has been verified for this record yet.
Does this page prove that a councillor is personally responsible?
No. It records what the council, its officers, auditors and regulators published. It does not assign an individual motive or blame without a separate documented decision trail.
See the poverty figures alongside this record
The West Dunbartonshire area page shows the local poverty, work and pay figures that explain why council decisions matter.
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