£5m overspend 'better than forecast'

BUT COUNCIL WARNS OF MORE CHOPPY WATERS AHEAD

- By STUART ARNOLD

A COUNCIL says a £5m overspend on its budget for day-to-day costs in the last financial year was better than forecast.

A financial 'outturn' report summing up Redcar and Cleveland Council's fortunes come the end of the 2024/25 period said the £5.075m it went over its allocated revenue budget had been an improvement of £1.56m on the figure it predicted in the final quarter.

Without any cost-saving measures the £5m plus figure would have been £12m.

The recent report for council cabinet members admitted the stated overspend was still "substantial" and pointed out a number of "key drivers" that have been repeatedly cited over the past several years, including high demand and complexity for children in care cases; increased home to school transport costs; use of agency workers due to children social care worker recruitment challenges, and increased fleet hire and waste management costs.