Council loses £800k (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Council loses £800k

12:00pm Friday 5th February 2010

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Cuts in Government grants will mean Braintree Council loses out on £800,000 between 2011 and 2014.

The authority has a balanced budget for the coming financial year but the following three years there will be a combined deficit of £800,000.

The loss is despite the council managing to save about £1 million a year for the past four years.

On Monday night Michael Lager Cabinet Member for Efficiency and Resources, said: “Over the last four years we have made savings of £4 million,it’s an achievement not many councils can echo.”

The savings are from more efficient working, making better use of technology and cutting back on areas that don’t have an affect on every day service.

Mr Lager said a recent Audit Commission report also highlighted the authority as 18th out of 388 local authorities for improvements to the way the council is run.

However, the council is still having to press ahead with closing community halls and tourism offices in the district and reducing the number of community wardens the authority employs.

Trevor Wilson, Head of Finance, said: “The problem is Government grants we get are going to reduce by 3.3 per cent each year for three years.

“Basically it’s a view that the public sector is in a bad state of affairs. Whoever gets into Government will have to take some serious action in terms of public expenditure.”

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