Council asks residents to help do budget sums

NEWCASTLE City Council has called on local residents in the city to shape how it uses its budget, giving communities greater power.

- OWEN YOUNGER Reporter

Inflation, rising demand for social care, and years of government cuts have left local authorities with difficult decisions to make.

The council says that since 2010, it has had to save more than £400m, with tens of millions more needing to be saved in the years to come.

Modest increases in government funding in this time have not kept up with the pace of inflation, utility prices and the demand for services, the council says.

The costs of supporting the most vulnerable residents across the area of Social Care and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is expected to increase by £30m.

The council is set to consult on its budget in the winter, having already made it clear it will need to save an estimated £15m in the next financial year alone.

Now, residents are being asked to help set the council budget for the first time, in advance of the proposals to be put forward by council officers and elected members.