Councillors last night (22 Feb) approved the Council’s budget for the next financial year, which includes plans to close a £32.9m budget gap.
A financial health review by the Local Government Association last summer described the Council’s finances as being on a ‘cliff edge’, highlighting how the Council needs to bring its Children’s Services budget under control if it is going to succeed in achieving long-term financial stability.
A transformation programme in response to the financial challenge is already underway and will review how the Council operates and works with other agencies to make the best use of collective resources.
In order to raise additional revenue for next year, councillors agreed to increase council tax by 4.99 per cent, which equates to £6.71 a month for a typical Band-D property.
Further details about the budget and the savings proposals that were approved at last night’s meeting are available on the Council’s website.