A draft budget for Cornwall Council for 2025/26 will now go out for consultation with the public and key stakeholders after it was approved by Cabinet this morning.
The meeting heard that, despite some increased funding announced in the Autumn Statement in Westminster last month, the financial challenges facing local authorities across the UK means difficult choices “must be made” in order to balance the books.
While the Council is said to be in a better position than many of its contemporaries “thanks to prudent financial management”, there is still a shortfall to be addressed, which will be tackled by measures including:
- Increases in fees and charges
- Some reduction in workforce costs
- Reducing levels of some services
The proposed budget would see Council Tax rise by 4.99%, which includes a 2% adult social care precept.
Cllr David Harris, deputy leader of Cornwall Council and portfolio holder for resources, explained that the authority was still awaiting clarification on the exact figures of extra funding announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement last month.
He told the meeting: “The ball is still very much in the Government’s court, and when we as Cabinet meet the Cornish MPs on Friday, we will be encouraging them to speak up for us, and I’m sure they will.
“However, in any event, we haven’t got time to sit around with everything crossed. Even if we receive more than we’ve assumed, it won’t be £48 million more, and £48 million was the size of our forecast budget gap for 2025/26 when we started this process.
“Consequently, we are in the invidious position of having to bring forward savings proposals to that value.
“The reality is that while these proposals are lawful and achievable, many are not in any way shape or form considered desirable, and I know that officer and Cabinet members have had sleepless nights.
“Like the vast majority of councils up and down the country, we are faced with having to make some deeply unpalatable choices.”
A public consultation on the proposals will begin on Friday, November 15, and will run until January.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Linda Taylor, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “I am proud of the work that has been done by officers and my team to identify potential savings, and to minimise the impact on our residents of some of the choices we are having to make.
“While we still hope for more funding from central government, we have to plan for the worst case scenario, rather than create bigger issues for ourselves further down the road.
“These are not easy decisions to take, but we will always act in the best interests of our residents at all times.”
