13 years of Conservative austerity is ‘damaging local government’ according to Cumberland Council’s executive member for financial planning and assets after a report revealed that the council is set to overspend by almost £29 million.

A report delivered to Cumberland Council’s executive committee on Tuesday by Cllr Barbara Cannon revealed that the council has overspent by £28.9 million.

The children and family wellbeing has overspent by £17.862 million; the business transformation and change department has overspent by £5.489 million and adult social care and housing has overspent by £5.152 million.

Following completion of forecasting activity for the first quarter 1, the council undertook a number of “deep dive” budget reviews with the objective of identifying “mitigating actions” to address budget pressures in a number of high spending areas.

After the review, Cumberland Council estimates that cost reductions of £3.2 million will be delivered from adult social care, health and wellbeing, and £1.2 million from children, family and wellbeing.

It is also anticipated that £7 million of service expenditure will be covered by exceptional financial support expected to be awarded by Government.

“We have said from day one that it will take more than a year to sort things out,” said Cllr Barbara Cannon.

“We've been through the complexity of local government reform thrown into the mixture of a tough council budget, but I am fairly confident that over two or three years we should, with a good wind, be able to resolve the issues.

“What is not helping is that 13 years of austerity is damaging local government right across this country and right up and down this country, local authorities are all speaking with the same voice.

“The services that are taking the biggest hit are demand led but I think that we are providing for our citizens, and we have to keep doing that.”

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At the meeting of Cumberland Council’s executive and in response to the planned savings in children’s services, the executive member for children's, family wellbeing and housing, Cllr Emma Williamson said: “First and foremost, we have to put our children and young people at the heart of everything we do, and we have some real pressures in society but what I do want to say is that our children are all of our responsibility.

“As a leadership team, we are committed to bringing this budget down but delivering high class services and I'm absolutely confident in the plan that we've got in place.”

The forecast full year overspend on services after budget mitigations and application of exceptional financial support is £17.514 million.