Dear Editor,
In one of the documents of Cheshire East Council Budget Consultation, you show that central support has dropped for £55M to near zero over 10 years, then state that “The council must therefore do things differently for less”
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Nearly an eighth of posts at Cheshire East Council are vacant as the cash-strapped authority tries to slash its wage bill to help balance its books.
Cheshire East is currently forecasting a £13 million overspend by the end of this financial year in March – but is still hoping to find a way to break even.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council could fail to rake in the £4m it hoped from its garden waste collections because less than two thirds of residents needed have so far subscribed.
As from this month, garden waste will only be collected if residents have paid the new annual £56 subscription fee.
Nantwich Town councillors have voted through a council tax precept rise of 3.5% for 2024-25 – half of the original planned 7% rise first debated in November.
But again the issue prompted at times a heated debate among councillors, with some Labour councillors calling for a zero rise and to find savings elsewhere.
A plan to increase the Nantwich Town Council portion of Council Tax by 7% in 2024-25 sparked a heated debate among town councillors.
The town council’s draft budget was put to the council last night at Brookfield Hall.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council may be forced to run its own care homes for the first time in decades as the price of commissioning private sector services is spiralling.
The council recently forecast a budget shortfall of £18.7m by the end of this financial year.
Four leisure centres run by Cheshire East Council could be closed as the authority’s budget crisis deepens.
The authority is desperate to find almost £20 million of savings this year
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council has come under fire from residents for increasing council tax by the maximum permitted while cutting back on services at the same time.
The council is also introducing its highly unpopular green bin charge from January and consulting on hiking up parking charges.
Cheshire East Council is set to report financial pressures of £12.8 million against its 2023/24 budget, latest figures show.
But the authority says savings already identified have reduced this from an eye-watering £26.6m deficit.
Nantwich Town councillors have agreed to pay £22,000 to keep the town’s library open for an extra half day.
But a debate at last night’s town council meeting descended into a political row over the issue.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council’s current £46.9m deficit on its special educational needs budget is forecast to rise to a whopping £306.9m by 2028.
Councils across the UK are struggling with massive deficits in their dedicated schools grant budget because funding has not matched soaring demand and spiralling costs.
Nantwich Library looks set to be closed every Friday and half a day on Mondays under new service budget cuts proposed by Cheshire East Council.
The details emerged in a letter to Nantwich Town Council from CEC’s director of environment and neighbourhoods.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Two Cheshire East councillors have called on Crewe & Nantwich MP Kieran Mullan to lobby the chancellor for funding to stop library services being slashed.
Cheshire East Council faces a £20m funding gap because of soaring inflation and the increasing pressure on services.
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