Hartlepool Borough Council’s £1,563.71 Travel Expense Sparks Controversy Amid Children’s Services Budget Woes...

The £1563.11 charge shouldered by the local tax payer & revealed in the latest round of financial expenditure sheets HBC Exposed has seen is likely to give rise to the debate over 'runaway' expenditure in one of Hartlepool Borough Councils most 'troubled' departments...

26th April 2025

In a revelation that's likely to spark questions over the management of a debt laden council department, it's been revealed that Hartlepool Borough Council spent £1,563.71 on travel expenses through Booking.com, with the funds drawn from the supposedly 'overstretched' Children's and Families budget.

This expenditure, whilst seemingly modest in isolation, has ignited debate due to the council’s supposedly 'ongoing financial struggles', particularly within the Children’s Services department, which is grappling with significant financial overspending & departmental 'chaos'. The timing of this expense is especially contentious, as it reportedly follows reported directives from the council’s Managing Director to restrict spending to only what is strictly necessary.

The Controversial £1,563.71 Travel Expense

The £1,563.71 spent on travel, allegedly booked through the online holiday service Booking.com, might appear to be a minor line item in the council’s budget. However, its allocation from the Children and Families budget—a department responsible for critical services such as child protection, foster care, and family support—has sparked concerns about financial priorities. Questions are already said to be being raised about the nature of the travel, who authorised it, and whether it was really essential, especially given the department’s strained finances. Without clear justification, such as evidence that the travel directly supported frontline services for vulnerable children, the expenditure risks being perceived as frivolous or poorly timed.

The controversy is said to be amplified by the council’s broader financial context. Hartlepool Borough Council has been reportedly navigating significant budgetary challenges, with reports indicating a projected £2.182 million overspend across its general fund revenue for the 2024/25 financial year, as of December 2024. The Children’s Services department, in particular, is a major contributor to this deficit, making the decision to allocate funds for travel expenses a potential lightning rod for local criticism.

Children’s Services: A Department Under Financial Strain

Sally Robinson HBC's Director of Children's & Joint Commissioning Services

The Children’s Services department at Hartlepool Borough Council is facing acute financial pressures, with an estimated overspend of £6.938 million for the 2024/25 fiscal year. This figure, reported in February 2025, represents a significant deterioration from earlier projections and underscores the department’s challenges in managing rising costs. A key driver of this overspend is the reported increased reliance on expensive external care homes for children in care, a trend that has strained budgets across many local authorities. Despite efforts to mitigate costs—such as opening new local council-run homes and negotiating lower-cost placements with providers—the department’s financial position remains precarious.

This overspend is particularly alarming given the council’s overall financial outlook. Hartlepool Borough Council initially faced a projected £10 million-plus deficit for the 2025/26 financial year, prompting discussions about potential cuts to community services, including Christmas trees, fireworks displays, and free parking initiatives. The Children’s Services overspend, which accounts for a substantial portion of the council’s total deficit, has placed the department under ever more intense scrutiny, with councillors and even local residents alike now questioning how funds are being managed in the failing council department...

The Managing Director’s Directive and Questions of Accountability

Adding fuel to the controversy is said to be the reported instruction from the council’s Managing Director to all departments to limit spending to only what is absolutely necessary. This directive was supposedly intended to curb non-essential expenditures and help address the council’s looming deficit. The revelation of the £1,563.71 travel expense, paid directly from the Children and Families budget, appears to fly in the face of this mandate, raising questions about general oversight and accountability within the department.

Critics may argue that the expenditure, if not directly tied to essential services, undermines the council’s efforts to demonstrate fiscal responsibility. The lack of transparency however around the purpose of the travel—whether it was for staff training, a conference, or another purposes—further fuels speculation and distrust. For a department already struggling to balance its books, such spending risks eroding public confidence in the council’s ability to prioritise the needs of vulnerable children and families, with the combination of the travel expenses and the department’s significant overspend likely to intensify calls for greater scrutiny of the Councils Children’s Services budget.

Residents, councillors, and some advocacy groups are increasingly demanding transparency and accountability from HBC's Children's Services, particularly given the critical role the department plays in safeguarding children and supporting families. The overspend, coupled with what some may perceive as questionable spending decisions, could prompt formal reviews or even spark an audit of the department itself to ensure that funds are being used effectively, and in line with the council’s stated priorities.

The department cant simply keep spending like this without it going unnoticed, a source told HBC Exposed !

There's calls for the councils Children's Services to be re-audited to check for more expenditures such as the one HBC Exposed has found

The revelation that Hartlepool Borough Council spent £1,563.71 on travel through Booking.com, funded directly by the Children and Families budget, has sparked controversy at a time when the council is supposedly under intense financial pressures.

With the HBC's Children’s Services department projecting a £6.938 million overspend and the council facing a £2.182 million overall deficit, questions about the necessity and oversight of this expenditure are inevitable. The reported directive from the Councils Managing Director to restrict spending only heightens the scrutiny, as residents and local councillors are likely to be demanding answers about just how funds are being prioritised in one of the councils most Controversially managed departments & sparking the debate over whether HBC's Children's Services needs to be placed under a Government Best Value Notice....