SHROPSHIRE Council has confirmed its budget plans will not see any fundamental change, following the announcement of the Government’s settlement for councils this week.

The budget settlement has allowed the council to confirm that it can raise its spending power grow by 8.6 per cent next year through a combination of money raised from council tax, Government grants and business rates.

However, the council admitted that some elements of this were already anticipated in the council’s budget plans including the 4.99 per cent increase in council tax, including a two per cent precept increase for adult social care, that Shropshire Council is proposing for next year, and that the Government has already assumed in its calculations that it will make.

Councillor Lezley Picton, leader of Shropshire Council, said the budget settlement is a 'relief' for the authority that there are no further problems, but says there are still financial problems to be addressed.

She said: "While this gives us some help to address the pressures arising from inflation, which is very welcome, we must also contend with the demand pressures and funding gaps created by the pandemic.

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"Most importantly, it doesn’t alter the scale of the budget challenge we face and what we need to do.

“We still have a budget gap of around £50 million that we must and will close.

"The proposals we have put forward will do, this largely through transformation; so having the minimum impact on services, particularly for the most vulnerable.

“It also shows that Government has assumed in its calculations that we will put council tax up by 4.99% per cent, which is the equivalent to an extra £1.38 per week for a Band C home in Shropshire.”

Shropshire Council said that while the increase is welcome, it is broadly in line with the council’s expectations and will not make any significant changes to its budget plans published earlier this month.

These plans, subject to backing, will see the council make £50 million of savings next year, with most of this achieved through the transformation of services.

The settlement gives some additional support for social care next year, which is welcomed.

The council is now working through the detail of the announcement and will update its detailed budget proposals before these are submitted to Cabinet in February 2023.

The council’s budget proposals are out to consultation until Monday, January 30, 2023.