Council has "tough" task to find extra £250,000 savings (From Worcester News)

Council has "tough" task to find extra £250,000 savings

9:20am Thursday 17th January 2013 in News By Tom Edwards

City council leader Simon Geraghty

COUNCIL chiefs in Worcester have admitted implications from cuts in Government funding have yet to be fully realised.

Councillor Andy Roberts, the city council’s cabinet member for finance, says the biggest “challenge” will be trying to balance the books in the 2014/15 financial year.

By 2015 funding is being slashed 19 per cent, but 14 per cent of that will only kick in from April 2014.

Cuts of £1.2 million are already factored in over the next two years, but there is still a blackhole of around £250,000 which needs to be addressed.

Coun Roberts said: “That 14 per cent reduction will present challenges for us, there’s no doubt about it.

“Overall, when it comes to the Government’s settlement we did better than our neighbours, but the reduction for 2014/15 is more than we expected.”

Councillor Simon Geraghty, the leader, said: "It's a tough settlement, especially in 2014/15."