This autumn, Hampshire County Council will consider steps to help address an anticipated budget shortfall of £140 million by April 2019.
Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Roy Perry, said “Proposals to deliver this latest round of anticipated savings will be considered by the County Council’s Cabinet on 16 October – informed by feedback from Hampshire residents’ responses to our Balancing the Budget public consultation, held over the summer.”
“A final decision will then be made on 2 November by the full County Council, followed by a number of further consultations with residents and stakeholders, where necessary.”
“We have been reporting for some time now, that opportunities for reducing costs are getting harder to find. With less money available and growing demand for council services, tough decisions are having to be made about what the County Council can and cannot do in the future.”
“Residents have told us that they continue to support our financial strategy which has involved targeting resources to those who need them most; planning ahead and securing savings early. To date, this approach has helped the County Council to invest in new, more efficient ways of working and has helped to minimise the impact on frontline services as far as possible. However, we now have to consider more radical ways of making ends meet.”
“Inevitably, this will involve changes to the way services are delivered, and further reductions in our workforce. It is too early to predict what the precise impact will be, as plans are still evolving and further public consultation will be needed.”
“Despite this financial challenge, the County Council remains one of the strongest local authorities in the country – delivering some of the best public services to Hampshire’s 1.3 million residents, and providing good value for money.”
