Telford & Wrekin Council disappointed at Government funding settlement

The settlement offers no further national support from Government for pressures felt locally on adult social care services and children’s safeguarding, which are the Council’s two biggest areas of spend.

Overall, the Council’s budget remains under severe pressure with no respite from reductions in Government grant and the Council expects it will need to find around another £30 million of savings from its budget by 2021.

Cllr Lee Carter, cabinet member for finance, said: “We’re deeply disappointed by the settlement but sadly not surprised. Our medium term budget plans were that this most prolonged period of Government cuts in our history would continue and so it will on a massive scale

“The settlement confirms a 23% cut in our remaining Revenue Support Grant next year and a further cut of over 30% the year after this.

“These swingeing reductions are on top of the £110 million we will have saved since 2010 from our annual budget by the end of this year.

“We must continue to work with a range of community organisations and groups to find new ways to deliver services that help limit the impact of these Government-imposed cuts as far as possible.

“It’s particularly disappointing that despite the wealth of evidence nationally of the pressures facing key council services to the most vulnerable in our community, particularly Adult Social Care and children’s safeguarding - pressures that are very keenly felt here too, no extra funding has been made available.”

“The Secretary of State has then applied the ultimate kick in the teeth by turning down our bid to be part of a business rates retention pilot scheme which would have helped reduced some pressure on cuts to services. “

Telford & Wrekin had bid for this together with Shropshire and Herefordshire councils and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.