The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council says a Government cash injection “won’t take the pressure off”, as a programme to find millions of pounds’ worth of savings is set to continue into the New Year.
Councils were awarded a funding settlement by the Government every year, but the system was heavily criticised by political leaders due to their inability to manage finances more effectively over the longer term.
The Labour Government has now awarded councils settlements covering a three-year period, following what it has described as a “radical overhaul” of how local government is funded.
By the end of the multi-year settlement period, Labour claims councils across the country will have received an increase of over 23 per cent in their core spending power compared to the 2024/25 financial year, to pay for services such as bin collections, adult social care, and children’s services.
Under the new funding arrangements, Nottinghamshire County Council will be getting a 30 per cent uplift of £234 million, compared to seven per cent under the previous Conservative Government.
Leader of the authority, Cllr Mick Barton (Ref), said the figures cited by Labour were correct but added that it was too early to tell what the impact would be on its budget.
However, he said his initial thoughts were that it is not enough to cover soaring costs in services where demand continues to rise, including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and adult social care.
“Officers are breaking it all down,” Cllr Barton said.
“I’m not going to say it looks positive because it is never enough. It is not going to take the pressure off.
“We’ve got lots to do on SEND and adult social care. We need money in all areas, but we’ve got to make the most of what we’ve got.”
In November, the authority said it intends to find £45.3 million in “mitigations” as it faces a £15.9 million budget shortfall by 2028/29.
The authority hopes the planned savings will be delivered under what it is calling its “efficiency review”, which it embarked upon back in June.
Cllr Barton said the review is now expected to continue into the New Year due to the need to find more savings and bring costs down across services.
He said the council had intended to complete the review “before Christmas”.
“We’ve decided to carry on the savings programme all through next year,” Cllr Barton added.
“We will do a professional job, but it is too early to say.”
Under the Government’s new fairer funding model, the Labour Party says it has directed funding to areas most in need, particularly those that have high levels of deprivation.
Nottingham City Council will be getting a 40 per cent increase over the remainder of the current Parliament, equating to an extra £154.5 million.
