Top councillors will be told that Swindon Borough Council is heading to an overspend of more than £2 million on its budget this year.

A report to the council’s Conservative cabinet by deputy leader and cabinet member for finance Russell Holland will say that there is a projected spend on the authority’s general fund of £144.7m by the end of the financial year in March 2020.

That’s more than £2m more than the actual budget for the year which is £142.5m

One of the major areas of divergence is in adults services, which is by far the biggest spending part of the council, which has a duty to fund social care for elderly and vulnerable adults.

That department is heading to a final spend of just over £63m, more than £800 more than its budget of £62.2m, although that represents just 1.3 per cent of the adult services budget.

The report says the overspend is expected because the department has been asked to make £8.9m of savings and it is struggling to do so in the face of increasing demand, which must be met by law.

Another overspend is expected in the communities and housing department due to costs as heritage sites.