WARRINGTON Borough Council is taking greater control over tackling the financial challenges it faces as it bids to find another £41m savings to bridge a funding gap for 2019/20.
Having already delivered £90m in savings and in the current difficult economic climate, the council has decided to accept the offer of a four-year – instead of an annual – financial settlement from central government.
The government has offered the settlement to councils with a requirement for them to publish a financial efficiency plan to qualify.
The settlement will help to aid financial planning through to 2020 and is a step towards the phased removal of the government’s revenue support grant for councils over the next four years.
Cllr Russ Bowden, (pictured) executive board member for corporate finance, said: “This multi-year settlement provides a better degree of funding certainty and stability and will allow us to undertake more strategic and proactive planning of services.”
“It offers us more control by enabling us to take a longer term view, as well as giving us the opportunity for contingency planning during a period of extreme uncertainty.”
