Setting 2024-25 budget was a 'long process' says Worcester City Council joint leader
The council announced the £12.7 million budget last week
The process in creating the 2024-25 budget was a 'long one' says the joint leader of Worcester City Council.
Last week the council announced their £12.7 million budget, aimed at a range of plans to support residents' top priority of enhancing and sustaining Worcester for future generations.
It also included plans to invest in numerous projects, including a new bike hire scheme for the city, new sports facilities, and a new bridge across the River Severn.
"All through the year we've been trying to reduce the amounts that we would have to take from reserves to balance the books in this budget," joint leader Marjory Bisset said.
"We started off with a gap of over a million in terms of our budget, and we've managed to get that down thanks to a lot of work.
"What has been really important through all of this is that we've made sure we have protected all of our services, so that nobody across the area if affected."
This week the local government association (LGA) has warned councils may have to make cuts to some services, in order to bridge any gaps in their budgets.
In January the government announced they were making an extra £600 million available for councils ahead of their upcoming budgets for the year ahead.
Councillor Bisset said: "I can absolutely reassure the public that the City Council officers and councillors are working together to bring the city through this difficult period.
"You'd have to go back two years to go to a budget where we didn't have to dip into our reserves, so obviously it's getting harder.
"It's just extremely worrying, and the council has to have a medium term financial plan covering the next five years, and if you look at the forecast for those next five years, the budget gap gets progressively larger as the years go by."
A small rise to council tax was also announced in last week's budget.