Cabinet to consider further savings to address budget gap

The county council faces "very significant challenges and enormous uncertainty" as it continues work to bridge a £60 million budget gap, a report reveals.

Norfolk County Council says that "very severe headwinds" such as inflation and cost of living will "inevitably serve to increase the size of the budget gap".

Cabinet member for finance, Councillor Andrew Jamieson, said: "We all know the cost of living is rising sharply and that has made our efforts to bridge the £60 million gap much more challenging.

"I am confident that we will be able to balance the budget next year but it will be a much harder task than usual and we cannot ease up on our intensive work to find robust savings."

In July, the county council announced the first £13 million of savings to meet a £60 million budget gap next year. Further proposals will be considered by cabinet in October.

The report says the council has identified further savings, which take the total to £32.5 million.

It says:

• Many elements of the budget remain unknown and "intensive work therefore continues to identify further savings"
• There is a "significant risk that the council will be obliged to consider reductions in service levels"
• It is "critical" that the council continues to lobby the Government and MPs for "adequate and sustainable funding for Norfolk"

The latest proposals, totalling £19.5 million, include:

• £11.7 million from adult social services
• £1.8 million from children's services
• £2.9 million from community and environmental services
• £0.05 million from strategy and transformation
• £0.03 million from governance
• £3.1 million from finance and commercial services

The same meeting will consider an update on a strategic review of the council, to improve the way it operates and save between £15 million and £20 million. Once detailed proposals are developed and checked, they will be added to the budget.

Cabinet will consider the report when it meets at 10am on Monday, October 3rd. Watch the meeting, live or afterwards and read the papers.