Cumberland Council says it is working hard to control ‘escalating costs’, but it is facing a potential overspend of £17.5m.
The local authority is struggling to balance its books due to ongoing demands within adult and children's care services, and complications relating to the transition to the new unitary authority.
The reorganisation process in April this year saw county council roles being split between the new Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. This led to the duplication of a number of staffing positions.
The council’s initial financial forecasts suggested that its services could cost an additional £28.9m. However, the local authority has made savings and drawn on its reserves to bring this down to £17.5m.
Cllr Barbara Cannon, Cumberland Council's executive member for Financial Planning and Assets, said: ‘The combination of years of funding cuts from central government, rising costs, and surging service demand has created a formidable challenge for local authorities like ours. We are constantly pressed to do more with less.
‘We are committed to building upon the transformation and improvement initiatives already underway as part of the local government reorganisation process. Our primary goal is to ensure every taxpayer's pound is spent wisely to deliver essential services across Cumberland.’
If this article was of interest, then check out our feature, 'How to fix local government finance.'
