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Pendle Council strives to balance its books
Published: Monday, 7th October 2019
Pendle Council is taking early steps to deal with its budget deficit by identifying ways it can save and raise money.
Over the next three years the Council needs to save around £4m, which includes £900,000 next year (2020/2021).
Dean Langton, Chief Executive, said: “We’re still in a very challenging financial position so it’s important we continually identify ways we can save money and raise income.
“As in previous years, early action has been taken to deal with the funding gap for 2020/21 but there’s still a great deal more work to do ahead of the budget meeting in February.”
At the full Council meeting (26 September) it was agreed the Council will charge:
- £60 per hour plus VAT for bespoke food safety advice for new and existing businesses from 1 October
- £15 per visit for missed pest control visits or when a treatment is booked but not carried out from 1 October
- £10 per hour (during office hours) and £35 per hour at other times to hire Council meeting rooms from 1 January 2020.
In addition it was agreed that we will make savings by:
- reducing the overall cost of staffing by not filling vacant posts, allowing flexible retirement and voluntary redundancies
- continuing to work with town and parish councils to maintain our parks and open spaces.
Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, Leader of Pendle Council, added: “Since 2010 the Council has been faced with significant funding cuts but we remain determined to providing services that matter to local people.
“There remains a great deal of uncertainty over our future funding from central government.
“That means it’s really important that we identify where we can make savings as well as raise money as early as possible.
“It’s all part of our financial strategy which aims to grow, charge and save as we work towards self-sufficiency.”
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