Scrutiny to look at council's budget planning

Work to bridge a predicted £46.2 million county council budget gap next year will be considered by councillors.

Norfolk County Council's scrutiny committee will consider a report from finance officers, which says savings proposals will be developed over the next few months, ahead of a budget being set in February next year (2024).

Chair of scrutiny, Councillor Steve Morphew, said: "Effective scrutiny is a crucial part of the council's budget planning process - probing and understanding the pressures and issues, ensuring the council is focussed on making efficiencies and flagging any concerns about how savings may impact on the services people need.

"This is the start of the process and we will continue to be involved, as proposals are developed and we move towards the setting of the budget in February."

The report says:

• The council faces a range of pressures, including inflation, totalling £81.9 million
• The overall net budget requirement is £567.3 million, against a Council Tax income of £521 million - leaving a gap of £46.2 million to find

The scrutiny committee will consider the report when it meets at 10am on Wednesday 21 June. You can read the papers and watch the meeting, live or afterwards.