'Bread this year – next year cake' cash-strapped Shropshire Council promises residents as it aims to save millions
People in Shropshire have been told that “cake” is on the cards next year as the unitary authority tries to improve its emergency reserves.
Shropshire Council’s Liberal Democrat-run administration only has £606,000 that can be used to offset budget requirements or cover emergency expenses.
That is well below what is considered the ‘safe level’ of £15 million.
However, Councillor Roger Evans, portfolio holder for finance, has said that while the authority won’t be able to get up to £15m this year, he wants to quickly improve the picture.
“Bread on the table this year, next year is cake,” said Councillor Evans.
“We do need to build up those levels because those rainy days will come sometime, and we need those reserves to meet the unexpected calls that will be on our services.”
Councillor Evans said the previous Conservative administration had failed to deliver £41m of savings. However, plans are now in place to deliver around £10.5m of these.
“Work continues to see how either the remaining ones or alternatives can also be made,” said Councillor Evans.
Last autumn, the then Conservative adminsitration invited all group leaders to assess the true financial situation as part of a budget collaboration.
“When we were doing the collaborative budget process, the Liberal Democrat group were invited to take part, but I don’t believe they did,” said Councillor Dan Thomas, group leader for the Conservative Party.
“For me, the biggest issue is the Government not tackling this crisis.”
In response, Councillor Evans said: “We did take part in the collaborative budget, but we got so fed up with just seeing lines on a piece of paper saying ‘this saving and that saving’. We were not given the background information to do it, so we walked away.
“We kept at it, but we didn’t get it. We will be starting another budget forum where all the group leaders will be invited because it’s a problem for the council. It’s not politics – we need to make those savings because we all want to be masters in our own house.”
Councillor Heather Kidd, leader of Shropshire Council, added that a member of the Local Government Association will also be carrying out a ‘corporate peer challenge’ around finances and best practice.
“We have a baseline from someone independent of where we are and where we need to go,” said Councillor Kidd.
“Losing the Rural Services Grant was a huge blow and it meant we were about £10m worse off. There will be a robust entry put into government on our spending because they’re particularly interested in rural spending across councils.
“We need to know the detail and impact on our residents. There will be some difficult choices, but at least everybody will be able to understand, and be able to take part in that in the room.”
However, Councillor Julian Dean, leader of the Green and Progressive Independents group, said the "danger of in-fighting within the council is that we forget that there’s been 15 years of austerity and in reality it’s continuing".
“We’re not expecting any white knights,” he said.
“I think we need to tell the people of Shropshire loud and clear local spending needs to be properly supported by central government.”
