Nottinghamshire County Council has reassured residents in Gedling borough that they are ‘confident about their financial future’ and will be able to set a balanced budget for 2021-22.
The council has offered the reassurance following recent press reports relating to a Rapid Review of the financial position at Nottingham City Council.
Councils have also faced extreme financial pressures because of Coronavirus
Nottinghamshire County Council has faced COVID costs which have topped £66 million but stated that it was in a sound financial position pre pandemic so has weathered the storm better than most.
Councillor Richard Jackson, the County Council’s chairman of Finance and Major Contracts Committee, said a combination of prudent financial management, a good level of reserves, dialogue and lobbying with Government had resulted in the situation being better than first thought.
Councillor Jackson said: ““We’ve found innovative ways of saving the county council money in the past, and we’ll continue doing that in the future.
“I’m pleased we’ve been able to safeguard services this financial year and there are no significant service reductions planned for the next financial year, this is a situation as a Council we can be rightly proud of.”
Councillor Jackson added: “We will continue with our record-breaking schools building programme and the £20 million investment in our county’s roads as these are the things that matter to our residents.”
“There remains a great deal of uncertainty in council finances across the country, with several key Government acts still outstanding, including the social care green paper, the fair funding review and the comprehensive spending review.
The signs we’re receiving from Government on the spending review and on the settlement for next year are positive. Nottinghamshire County Council will therefore be setting a balanced budget for the next financial year.”
