Local authority budget report

For the third year, CLD Standards Council undertook research on the financial resources each Local Authority allocates to support the implementation of statutory Community Learning and Development Strategic Plans.

The information gathered was key to informing and raising awareness of the CLD workforce and the fiscal landscape with colleagues from Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), CLD Managers Scotland, Association of Directors of Eduction in Scotland (ADES), and Scottish Government.

The Findings

• 31 out of 32 Local Authorities responded.
• The final spend for the local authority CLD budget for financial year 2024/25 was reported as £83,281,476.73. This is a reduction of £3,749,514.30 from the estimated 2024/25 spend from June 2024.
• The total estimated CLD budget allocation for thirty-one local authorities for financial year 2025/26 is £81,826,157.26. This is a reduction of £1,455,319.47 from the 2024/25 final reported spend. This is a total reduction of £10,379,000.92 since 2023/24 final reported spend.
• Twenty-seven Local Authorities have estimated that they will provide £17,880,739.00 in voluntary sector support to organisations to deliver CLD programmes. This is a reduction of £1,426,336.85 from the 2024/25 final spend.
• Twenty-nine Local Authorities have estimated that external funding secured to deliver CLD programmes totals £21,521,473.12 for financial year 2025/26. This is a reduction of £5,019,656.66 from 2024/25 final spend.

View local authority budget report.