Council leader vows to leave no stone unturned in quest for savings

The authority has a budget of £332 million for the current financial year and balanced the books by taking £6 million from reserves.

For the next financial year, from April 2025, the council is predicting a deficit of £27.1 million and the gap between what it makes and what it spends will rise to £32.6 million the year after.

At a meeting of the council’s cabinet on July 24, the authority’s Labour leader, Councillor Stephen Simkins, said: “It is vitally important that we do stress this authority will need to make savings proposals of around £32m.”

Councillor Simkins stressed the need for cuts was not because of financial mismanagement but increased demand, especially in adult social care, children’s services and temporary accommodation for the homeless.

He said: “It is really important that we streamline the authority so we can deliver for those people who are in the greatest need.

“We will leave no stone unturned to make savings.”

The council has already identified ways to find £7 million in the current financial year which include hiking fees and charges to the total needed to cover costs or by the CPI rate of inflation in September last year of 6.7 per cent.

Among savings already identified is cutting £10,000 for food provided to councillors who had not eaten during the day before attending meetings.

Councillor Simkins said: “It is more important to feed the children of this city than elected members.”

Councillors were also told more than half the authority’s spending went on adults and children’s services as well as emptying bins.

Councillor Simkins said: “We have had a good bill of health from external auditors year on year.

"This will continue if we continue to do this work.”