Auditors have praised Clackmannanshire Council for demonstrating improvement in key areas but urged the local authority to ‘urgently address its financial situation.’
The council has made £70m worth of savings since 2010 but needs to find £22m by 2026/27.
A report published by the Accounts Commission praised the council’s progress but warned the local authority ‘cannot continue’ to rely on reserves or one-off savings.
The commissioned urged the local authority to focus on delivering a programme of transformation to ensure financial sustainability.
Jo Armstrong, chair of the Accounts Commission, said: ‘The council must develop in more detail and deliver on its plans to transform how it works and the services it will deliver in the future. This is critical to ensure it can operate within budget.’
Council leader Ellen Forson welcomed the commission’s acknowledgement of the improvements but added the council would not be ‘complacent’.
‘We absolutely realise the significant challenges ahead, particularly in respect of financial sustainability as the Accounts Commission has highlighted,’ she said.
‘We also recognise that many of these challenges lie outwith our control. That is why we have prioritised transformation and collaborative working, with the aim of achieving financial stability, for the past six years, and will continue to do so in the future.’
