FINANCIAL experts at County Hall have two months to find £1 million.

Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet met to discuss the authority’s budget for 2018/19 and while the Conservative councillors were happy to endorse the budget, there is still a financial gap of £1m between what the council expects to spend and the funds it can raise next year.

Meanwhile in Worcester City Council’s offices, plans to raise more money for services by charging residents 2.85 per cent more may well be challenged.

The county council is planning to make a 4.94 per cent increase in what council tax payers will be asked for next year for its services - equivalent to a £57 increase for band D payers.

Three per cent of the increase will be ringfenced to be spent on adult social care.

Councillor Simon Geraghty is both the leader of the council and the cabinet member for finance.

He said: “Two thirds of the budget will be spent on adults and children. We are still in a challenging financial climate, but we are within a million pounds of closing the gap.

Cllr Geraghty said the priorities for budget spending have been set by a consultation with residents and added: “Roads, pavements and congestion are one of the things most important to people, and we are increasing spending on that. Residents also want to see services delivered to the most vulnerable in the community, both adults and children.”

Cabinet members spoke to say how pleased they were with the budget.

Councillor Alan Amos, who is responsible for Highways said: “We will be spending £1 million more on improving pavements across the county. That gives us 50 miles or high quality pavements – that’s the distance from Worcester to Oxford.“

His colleague Councillor Ken Pollock defended spending money on raising New Road in Worcester as a flood prevention measure - which will need seven trees to be felled.

He said: “Of 57 trees, seven will be removed. It’s a shame, and some people have said flooding doesn’t happen very often. It doesn’t but when it does, it can be devastating. Raising New Road is worth doing.”

One dissenting voice came from Councillor Peter Macdonald, leader of the Labour group, who was observing. He said: “This report makes clear there is a major financial gap, and earmarked reserves are being used. What happens when they run out, what cuts are coming then?”

At the Guild Hall in Worcester, budget proposals for the city authority were put to councillors sitting on the council’s Resources and Policy Committee and deputy leader of the authority Councillor Marc Bayliss said he wasn’t happy with the increase.

Mr Bayliss whose Conservative group, with 17 councillors, is the largest single party in the council, chamber said: “This is something we might take issue with later. This council has been running a surplus of at least £300,000.

“The budget says without the £5 increase in council tax we’d have to cut £150,000 out of the budget, and I think that is well covered by that surplus. So, I am not agreeing to it tonight.”

As things stand the city council intends to spend £10.2 million next year, transferring £84,000 form reserves to ensure a balanced budget.

Officers have made provision for council staff to get a two per cent pay increase in 2018/219 and 2019/20.

Both budgets will be put to public consultation and will be voted on by full meetings of the councils in February