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Telford & Wrekin council debt

Unitary authority, England. Latest figures: Jun 2026.

Total debt
£490m
£489,807,000
Debt per person
£2,457
199,378 residents
Net debt
£368m
after £122m of investments
Change in a year
+13.3%
+£57.8m since Mar 2025
Debt to budget
1.1×
times net current spending, 2025-26
Local economy
£35,004
GDP per person; debt is 7.0% of the area's £6.98bn GDP
Debt cost
£119
per person: £23.7m of interest and repayment in 2025-26 (£20.1m interest)

Telford & Wrekin has the 67th highest debt per person of 197 single-tier councils in the UK (Jun 2026).

Telford & Wrekin debt over time

£0£123m£246m£369m£493mJun 202620102012201420162018202020222024

Outstanding borrowing at each date, Mar 2010 to Jun 2026.

What Telford & Wrekin spent capital money on

Councils borrow to pay for capital spending: buildings, roads, housing, loans to their own companies, commercial property. Capital spending by service in each financial year, and how much of it was paid for by new borrowing, 2018-19 to 2024-25.

2018-19£55.1m · borrowed £24.9m2019-20£41.8m · borrowed £18.5m2020-21£59.5m · borrowed £24.2m2021-22£56.6m · borrowed £20.4m2022-23£75.0m · borrowed £25.3m2023-24£82.4m · borrowed £38.4m2024-25£86.0m · borrowed £44.3m
Planning and regenerationRoads and transportSchools and educationCommercial property and companiesHousingCentral services and corporate propertyCulture, leisure and sportSocial careEnvironment and wastePublic health
YearCapital spendingBorrowedBiggest items
2024-25£86.0m£44.3mPlanning and regeneration £48.3m, Schools and education £12.9m, Roads and transport £10.2m
2023-24£82.4m£38.4mPlanning and regeneration £35.0m, Roads and transport £13.3m, Schools and education £10.3m
2022-23£75.0m£25.3mRoads and transport £17.7m, Planning and regeneration £17.7m, Schools and education £14.3m
2021-22£56.6m£20.4mPlanning and regeneration £16.5m, Roads and transport £14.6m, Schools and education £13.0m
2020-21£59.5m£24.2mPlanning and regeneration £21.8m, Roads and transport £20.4m, Schools and education £7.6m
2019-20£41.8m£18.5mRoads and transport £15.2m, Planning and regeneration £9.1m, Schools and education £6.9m
2018-19£55.1m£24.9mRoads and transport £21.2m, Planning and regeneration £10.1m, Commercial property and companies £8.0m

"Borrowed" is new borrowing and credit used to finance that year's spending; it can exceed the spending when a council borrows to cover earlier costs or, with government permission, day-to-day losses. Source: MHCLG capital outturn (England, from 2018-19); StatsWales capital outturn (Wales). Not yet available for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Who Telford & Wrekin borrows from

LenderAmountShare
Public Works Loan Board (PWLB)the government's lending facility for councils, run by the UK Debt Management Office; most council borrowing comes from it£326m67%
Other councilsloans from other local authorities, usually short term£134m27%
Banksloans from UK banks, including LOBO loans (lender option, borrower option)£25.0m5%
Other sourcesborrowing the council did not assign to any of the groups above£5.1m1%

Outstanding loans by type of lender as reported by the council to MHCLG, short and long term together, as at Jun 2026. The return groups lenders by sector, not by name.

Telford & Wrekin debt by year

DateDebtInvestmentsNet debtPer personPopulationDebt cost
Jun 2026£490m£122m£368m£2,457199,378£23.7m
Mar 2026£493m£121m£371m£2,471199,378£23.7m
Dec 2025£460m£120m£340m£2,309199,378£18.3m
Sep 2025£419m£109m£310m£2,100199,378£18.3m
Jun 2025£427m£118m£309m£2,175196,090£18.3m
Mar 2025£435m£111m£324m£2,218196,090£18.3m
Dec 2024£423m£116m£307m£2,155196,090£13.7m
Sep 2024£388m£105m£283m£1,980196,090£13.7m
Jun 2024£378m£110m£268m£1,963192,358£13.7m
Mar 2024£371m£91.2m£280m£1,930192,358£13.7m
Dec 2023£351m£99.9m£251m£1,824192,358£10.7m
Sep 2023£342m£101m£241m£1,779192,358£10.7m
Jun 2023£334m£101m£233m£1,766188,960£10.7m
Mar 2023£347m£102m£245m£1,838188,960£10.7m
Dec 2022£301m£88.4m£213m£1,595188,960£8.5m
Sep 2022£288m£88.3m£199m£1,522188,960£8.5m
Jun 2022£289m£96.8m£193m£1,557185,857£8.5m
Mar 2022£283m£95.0m£188m£1,521185,857£8.5m
Dec 2021£249m£81.0m£168m£1,338185,857£8.8m
Sep 2021£240m£79.0m£161m£1,289185,857£8.8m
Jun 2021£240m£71.6m£169m£1,310183,483£8.8m
Mar 2021£281m£76.4m£205m£1,532183,483£8.8m
Dec 2020£268m£78.4m£190m£1,460183,483£9.1m
Sep 2020£277m£70.9m£206m£1,508183,483£9.1m
Jun 2020£271m£71.7m£200m£1,491182,081£9.1m
Mar 2020£276m£76.0m£200m£1,517182,081£9.1m
Mar 2019£267m£55.7m£211m£1,487179,548£4.5m
Mar 2018£257m£53.3m£203m£1,446177,528£2.9m
Mar 2017£220m£19.2m£201m£1,255175,352–
Mar 2016£164m£6.6m£157m£949172,898–
Mar 2015£117m£3.9m£113m£684170,610–
Mar 2014£126m£23.6m£102m£743169,014–
Mar 2013£111m£32.2m£78.4m£659167,964–
Mar 2012£148m£53.2m£94.5m£885166,831–
Mar 2011£131m£76.1m£54.8m£790165,641–
Mar 2010£123m£73.9m£49.2m£746164,889–

Similar councils

CouncilDebtPer person
Swansea£622m£2,495
Glasgow£1.62bn£2,476
Torbay£345m£2,472
Telford & Wrekin£490m£2,457
Derby£656m£2,383
North Tyneside£508m£2,360
Carmarthenshire£434m£2,284

Single-tier councils closest in debt per person, Jun 2026.

See Telford & Wrekin on the UK council debt map