Under sustained budget pressure, most Local Authorities have already made the obvious cuts.  But our experience working across dozens of Councils has taught us that significant ongoing savings often remain untapped — not through waste or inefficiency, but simply because nobody has had the time or the external perspective to look.

Haverly Consulting provides independent financial reviews that combine deep technical knowledge with a fresh pair of eyes. We examine your existing policies, accounting treatments and financial strategies, compare them to current best practice, and identify where changes could generate meaningful, recurring savings.

• Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) — reviewing your MRP policy for compliance and optimisation opportunities

• Housing Revenue Account (HRA) — examining income, expenditure, reserves and 30-year business plan assumptions

• Debt Management — reviewing borrowing strategies, interest rate exposure and debt scheduling

• Capital Receipts — assessing how receipts are being applied and whether more advantageous options exist

• Fees and Charges — benchmarking your fee schedules against comparable authorities and statutory guidance

• Treasury Management — reviewing investment strategy, counterparty limits and compliance with the Prudential Code

We typically complete a financial review within four to eight weeks, depending on scope. Our output is a clear, prioritised report setting out findings and recommendations, including an estimate of the financial benefit achievable for each recommendation. We are transparent about effort required to implement changes and realistic about timescales.

Many clients tell us that the savings identified in a single review more than cover the cost of the engagement — often many times over.

This varies significantly depending on the size of your authority and the areas reviewed. MRP reviews alone have generated six-figure annual savings for some of our clients. We offer a free initial assessment to give you a sense of where the opportunities are likely to be before you commit to a full engagement.

No. While the absolute savings are larger for authorities with more borrowing, the principles of MRP optimisation apply to any authority that has capital financing charges. Even smaller district councils have achieved meaningful savings through an MRP review.

Yes. All our recommendations are grounded in applicable legislation, statutory guidance and professional accounting standards. We can provide technical briefings to your external auditors if required and will work with you to ensure that any changes to policy are properly documented and defensible.

Contact us today to arrange a free 30-minute consultation with one of our housing finance specialists.

Email: info@haverlyconsulting.co.uk | haverlyconsulting.co.uk/contact