KCC leader: 'We are not reckless' over financial worries
The authority's warned it needs to make millions of pounds of savings
The leader of Kent's biggest local authority has warned residents of a bumpy ride in 2024 as financial pressures mount.
Conservative Kent County Council chief Roger Gough said while some other councils have declared effective bankruptcy, such as Birmingham and Nottingham, KCC continues to “keep that wolf from the door”.
In his New Year message, Cllr Gough stressed KCC is not a reckless authority, a stance backed up last month by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) which described it as “perfectly well-run”.
But councils across England say they are struggling to meet service demands with insufficient money from central government to meet their cost.
Clr Gough said: “We are not a council that has been reckless with its finances, far from it, and our sound decisions have given us the best possible chance to stave off what has been coming down the track at us. However, we are not immune to the impacts.”
Travel disruption at the Channel ports and the arrival of unaccompanied asylum seeking children have put pressure on resources, he added.
“Despite what we shoulder, central government funding has fallen far short. There is no doubt that times are exceedingly tough.”
KCC’s road map out of the problem is a programme called Securing Kent’s Future “navigating to what I am confident will be a balanced budget for this financial year, something we are legally obliged to deliver”.
Cllr Gough said: “Across the country, some councils have headed into effective bankruptcy. We continue to keep that wolf from the door; at the same time, we cannot focus only on survival but on continuing to change and innovate, while delivering good services to the people of Kent.
“Looking back on 2023, there have been some notable moments, some of which have seen us rising to support our residents through shock after shock, not least the cost-of-living crisis and helping people in the most difficult circumstances. This is something that remains an absolute priority.”
Of 2023 highlights, the leader noted KCC’s “solid collaboration” with the NHS, the “front-foot” response to the nationwide crisis of crumbling concrete in schools and being a “central plank” of the Kent Resilience Forum’s reaction to road network pressures.
Cllr Gough added: “I am incredibly proud that some of the greatest effects of our work can be felt in the quiet, often unseen, interactions full of kindness, compassion and thoughtfulness from across all of our teams.”