The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has today, Monday 18 December, published the latest provisional local government finance settlement.
This details the funding available to support councils in England to deliver frontline services.
Responding to this, Councillor Chris Whitbread, Chancellor of Essex, said:
The headlines from the finance settlement for Essex are disappointing given the financial pressures facing councils, but are what we expected.
There are significant challenges ahead. The impacts of high inflation and interest rates are still affecting families and demand pressures are still very much with us as a council. There will be tough choices in Essex, as there are in every budget.
There is the ever-present need to continue to look after our most vulnerable; ours is an ever-ageing, ever-growing population with ever-more complex needs. But we are as committed to protecting Essex’s vulnerable children and older people as ever.
We will also need to continue to change the way we work. Providing services today in the way that we have been providing them for years is no longer an option.
These are the challenges which we need to face and overcome as we finalise our budget for the coming financial year.
Find out more about the provisional settlement.