Telford council finishes year within budget despite impact of flooding and pandemic
Telford & Wrekin Council has finished its financial year within its budget for the 10th consecutive year despite the pressure of historic flooding and the coronavirus pandemic.
The council attributed its success in staying within budget while having to cut £6.1 million to "careful financial management".
In total the council has made £123m of savings in the years of austerity since 2010.
A report to the council’s cabinet, which meets on June 18, shows that the council reallocated extra funding into initiatives to tackle unemployment and environmental issues.
Covid-19 coverage:
Cabinet finance lead Rae Evans said: “While many councils continue to struggle, we continue with our robust financial management, ending the year in a positive position and with the lowest council tax in the region despite some of the most difficult in-year pressures we’ve ever seen.
"Considering the circumstances, and that many other councils were already struggling to balance their books, this is a significant achievement.
“This prudent approach will be all the more important as the full impact of the coronavirus pandemic becomes clearer.
“Our finances will be under renewed pressure as many residents, businesses and community organisations look to us for further support in many different ways as the effects of the pandemic are ever more widely felt.
“We will face for example increased costs for care services while we’ve lost income by closing our leisure centres – all of which is not covered by the additional funding from Government and that’s why we will continue to lobby to ensure that we get fair funding.”
