There is one final chance for the Government to give Cornwall fairer and additional funding ahead of the “most challenging budget in the authority’s history”, Cornwall Councillor David Harris said today.
The Chancellor will reveal her Budget next Wednesday (Oct 30), just one day before proposals to develop Cornwall Council’s draft budget are due to be discussed by the new Budget Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC).
The new OSC will make recommendations before the proposals are presented to Cabinet for approval.
The proposals for the OSC are being put forward by Council officers and include increases to fees and charges, workforce controls and some reductions to service levels. However, even with the proposed savings, the Council still faces a shortfall which must be found in some way.
Presenting the savings proposals to the new OSC marks the beginning of the budget setting process for Cornwall Council. No decisions will be taken until February next year at Full Council.
Cllr David Harris, the deputy leader of Cornwall Council, and portfolio holder for resources said: “I want to thank the officers involved in using their expertise to give their best professional and impartial advice as to how to narrow the budget gap, proposing measures which are achievable and lawful.
“But while they may be achievable and lawful, none of these measures are by any means desirable – and this is where Government needs to wake up and understand that the demand for essential services like temporary accommodation, adult social care and SEND provision for young people are rising so fast that no amount of efficiencies and savings put forward by officers can address the shortfall.”
“We are on a precipice, and unless there are some major changes to the way local authorities are funded announced in the Budget, we are facing some exceedingly difficult choices.
“The lack of clarity about the shared prosperity fund will compound the problem. The funding runs out in March. We want to invest in the future to make Cornwall a better place for the next generation. We cannot fund economic growth beyond that date with no money.
The proposals put forward by officers will include increases in fees and charges, workforce controls and reducing levels of some services.
Cllr Harris added: “We are working hard to minimise the impact on residents by ‘turning the burners down’ rather than stopping services completely.
“But we have a shortfall that cannot be addressed without making complex decisions. Not addressing that shortfall means not balancing the books – and that would be far worse for residents in Cornwall in the long run.”
The Budget Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting will take place in the Trelawny Room at County Hall in Truro on Thursday October 31, starting at 10am.
