Buckinghamshire County Council ‘Buckinghamshire County Council and devolution’ Martin Tett Leader of Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council Today’s reality……
Buckinghamshire County Council The current financial situation…… • It’s very bleak….. • Upper tier authorities under severe financial pressure due to children’s and Adults’ responsibilities. • Large overspend if no action taken • Budget ‘freeze’ on all but essential expenditure to stop overspending. • Reserves running low • Cost of funding the Living Wage • Plans in place to stop overspending Current situation is unsustainable.
Buckinghamshire County Council Today’s Spending Review announcements George Osborne will announce further cuts later today, but what do we expect? • £20 billion in Departmental savings? • DCLG - 30% cut over next three years? • Focus on more house building? • Referendum ‘cap’ to remain at 2% • 2% extra precept for Social Care? • Retention of Business Rates unlikely to plug gap in future? Definitely no champagne on ice for later!
Buckinghamshire County Council The experience on the ground will change…. Council will be forced to go ‘back and up’ • Less direct provision on the ground • More strategic, more enabling approach • Focus on statutory and essential spend, less on • discretionary But…. Does this give Parish and Town Councils a new • window of opportunity? A space for innovation, A space not seen since the • 1974 local government reorganisation?
Buckinghamshire County Council ‘Space for Innovation and Ambition’ • Opportunity open and growing for those with ambition • Potential for new ways to collaborate to emerge – both between BCC and parishes and between parishes • Role of civic society could develop further charity groups/Vol Sector etc. • BCC is ideologically committed to greater role for parish councils • Aim to build capacity with you.
Buckinghamshire County Council ‘Final thoughts….’ • The public sector has fundamentally changed permanently. • We are spending £100m less than we did five years ago and there’s nearly £50m more still to save. • Your ambition is key. • Higher parish precepts to fund local improvements? • We all need to think/act differently. • The window of opportunity is now….
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