Regional journalists are being urged to join a project aimed at providing greater scrutiny of council budgets.

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism is looking for participants to collect local data, fact-check, contextualise and share expertise as it collates budget information for the 353 local authorities in England.

The scheme, run by its The Bureau Local unit, has so far looked at 74 of the councils that have published their draft budget proposals for next year and found £1.3bn in cuts over the next five years, including £532m in 2018/19.

Among them is the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has put forward plans to cut £32.3 million from its budget by March 2021.

The Grenfell Tower fire

The Bureau says the proposals have received no public scrutiny, despite the council being in the spotlight following the Grenfell Tower disaster six months ago.

The project is being led by reporter Gareth Davies, formerly of the Croydon Advertiser.

He said: “I know from my experience as a local reporter how important it is report on how councils spend taxpayer’s money. But in understaffed, busy newsrooms with other priorities, it’s hard enough keeping on top of what is happening on your own patch, let alone comparing it to elsewhere in the country.

“I’ve looked at more than 70 draft budgets so far in attempt to build a database of spending information that will help reporters put their local council’s plans into context.

“But properly reporting these proposals takes local knowledge – that’s why we’ve opened this project up to journalists and members of the public to help.

“The aim is to build a comprehensive local, regional and national picture of the impact reductions in government funding, and other pressures, and tell the stories that really matter.”

For more information and to register for the project, click here.