Cumberland Council has announced that it has made significant progress to ease the financial challenges that it inherited in April.
A difference of around £9 million in comparison with the £17.5 million forecasted overspend from the Q1 financial report was published in the Q2 report, showing a potential overspend of £8.5 million. This has been achieved through an extensive review of services and budgets, helping to identify where efficiencies and savings can be found.
Alongside cost reductions, vacancy management and service transformation, the council has been able to considerably improve finances by recruiting permanent staff instead of using agency staff.
Executive Member for Financial Planning and Assets at Cumberland Council, Cllr Barbara Cannon, said:
“Despite the huge financial challenges brought about by a sustained lack of investment in public services, we have demonstrated our commitment to bring about the changes needed to successfully manage the Council’s finances. Our primary goal is to ensure every taxpayer’s pound is spent wisely and we stand firm in our promise to deliver quality public services for the residents of Cumberland.
“The combination of years of funding cuts from central government, rising costs, and surging service demand has created formidable challenges for local authorities like ours. We are constantly pressed to do more with less.”
Councils around the country are facing uphill battles to control budgets, with services such as Adult Social Care facing spiralling demands. Whilst all this has been ongoing, Cumberland Council has been facing the complexity of transitioning to a new unitary authority.
Councillor Mark Fryer, Leader of the Council, also commented:
“You only have to switch on the news to see the scale of the financial challenges faced by local councils right across the country. The Autumn Statement by the Chancellor further demonstrated that the sector can expect ongoing financial challenges in the coming years. This is why I have signed a letter with other council leaders as part of the County Council Network to lobby the Chancellor for much-needed additional resources.
“We need to see public service reform in his country, and we urgently need a new deal for local government.
“After more than a decade of neglect and austerity, the Government has to now realise that the current public sector funding formula doesn’t work for areas like ours and needs to be overhauled. Pressures, particularly on councils with social care responsibilities, are pushing many well-run and well-managed councils to the brink of bankruptcy.
“However, we do have a comprehensive plan for Cumberland that I’m confident we can deliver to bring about further change, but recognise that the next few years will be very demanding indeed.”
Image credit: iStock and Cumberland Council
