A public consultation has now opened as 17 savings options have been tabled to help bridge a £36 million gap over the next two years, with £14m needed in 2026-27 alone.

The consultation has the theme “facing challenges, protecting what matters – your voice helps us make the right choices” – and the results of the consultation will be considered by local councillors when they make their decisions.

Council Leader Joe Fagan said: “South Lanarkshire Council has worked hard to find £140m in savings over the last decade or so but challenges remain, as the level of Scottish Government funding is uncertain and demand for local services is rising.

“So we need to do even more to balance our budget, and I am determined that we will do so while taking care of the most vulnerable and protecting the services that matter most to our residents.

“That’s why we need to hear everyone’s views. The savings options are just those for the moment – options put forward by council officers for elected members to consider as we make the difficult decisions that simply have to be made.

“So I urge everyone who lives here and uses our services – our schools, our roads, our parks and open spaces, and everything else – to get involved and tell us your views on savings options and how we help fund services through our Council Tax, which remains the lowest in Scotland.”

The council does not expect to know its grant for 2026-27 until after the Scottish Government budget on 13 February 2026, so no final decisions will be taken until after then.

The budget consultation will run for 10 weeks, until midnight on 14 January 2026. From previous experience, the most popular way of taking part is via an online survey that takes only a few minutes to complete. It can be found here.

As well as online, you can take part by emailing the team or posting responses to Budget Consultation, South Lanarkshire Council, Floor 4, Almada Street, Hamilton ML3 0AA.

Paper copies of the survey can be requested via the same email and postal address.