Council-run services could be cut to deal with a budget shortfall

Councillors in Cambridgeshire are looking for ways to plug a £23-million funding hole.

In February 2023, when Cambridgeshire County Council set its budget, it estimated it would be facing a £16.3-million budget gap in 2024/25.

However, the authority has said the “financial outlook has worsened” over the last eight months and said this gap is now estimated to be £23.6-million.

Cambridgeshire County Council has put the increase of £7.3-million down to rising costs and increased demand for its services.

Chief executive Stephen Moir has said he believes cuts to services will need to be made in order to fill this gap.

"There is no sign of a fair funding review by government.

“I think that means we need to really focus in on what we can do within our existing and known budgetary levels.

“That means from a business planning perspective we will need to look at a combination, in my view, of savings and service cuts, and I need to be clear that is what it does mean; we will need to look at income, fees and charges and that will include council tax consideration, which is a matter for members later in the budget process of course; and third we will need to consider how best we use some of our reducing reserves to help smooth some of those impacts out.”

The authority is also estimating that by 2028/29 it will be facing a £25.8-million budget gap.

Councillor Steve Count, leader of the Conservative opposition group at the county council, said it was not just inflation that was impacting the council’s budget gap.

He said things the authority had chosen to pay for outside of its core services also needed to be considered, as well as projects not being completed on time.

He urged the county council to not "default” to increasing council tax.