Wiltshire Council set to UNDERSPEND this year
The authority has seen a major turnaround in its finances over recent months
Last updated 4th Dec 2020
In June, Wiltshire Council warned there was a chance it could go bankrupt, due to the financial strain of COVID-19.
The authority says it has since 'worked around the clock' to balance the books, calling on the Government to provide more support.
Now, instead of the £50 million shortfall predicted, the Council is expecting a £71,000 underspend by the end of the 2020/21 financial year.
Any remaining funds will be transferred to Wiltshire Council's General Fund Reserve, which currently stands at £15.46 million.
HOW HAVE THEY MANAGED IT?
The authority says it has achieved the 'positive position' through 'careful financial management and some service areas significantly changing their total spend forecast'.
Savings have also been made in training, consultancy fees and through a recruitment freeze.
Cllr Pauline Church, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Finance, Procurement and Commercial Investment, said:
"This has been an incredibly tough year which has required a lot of resource and finances at a national and local level to ensure people and businesses have all the support they need.
"While we are confident of delivering a balanced budget for 2020/21, which in itself will be a great achievement given the circumstances, the next financial year and beyond will undoubtedly be challenging and require us to make some tough decisions. When we emerge from this pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 will be felt for some time to come and we'll need to focus our time, energy and resources to help the county recover. We await with interest to see how the additional money for local councils announced by the Chancellor in the recent spending review will be distributed, including the additional money to support adult social care.
"We know there will still be tough times ahead, and as we have always been an agile, creative and financially resilient council, this puts us on a strong footing as we work with partners and our proactive communities to face these challenges together, and help our county get back on its feet as quickly as possible."
GOVERNMENT HELP WELCOMED
Wiltshire Council has received several grants from central Government to help its financial position in recent weeks. They include:
- £4 million from the Contain Outbreak Management Fund
- £1.108 million from the Covid Winter Grant Scheme
- £128,000 towards support for rough sleepers
- £10 million to be handed out to local businesses as Additional Restrictions Support Grant during the second lockdown
- £7.223 million for Local Restrictions Support Grants for businesses
- £50,000 for domestic abuse support
The authority has also revealed it expects to lose £840,000 in fees and charges from leisure centres, libraries and car parking during the second lockdown.
Around £600,000 of that is expected to be reimbursed by the Government's income loss compensation scheme.