'Smoke and mirrors' claims in row over Northumberland budget plans

More than 370 people took part in an online consultation during December and January, while hundreds more watched a live budget question time with council leaders and more than 30,000 engaged on social media.

The local authority thanked those who took part and said that residents and businesses gave their views on a wide range of issues ‘which will help shape the council’s priorities going forward’. However, the savings target and council-tax increases set out earlier in the process remained unchanged.

‘Efficiencies’ of £8.2million have been identified to balance the budget for 2021-22 – with further cuts of £10.5million and £12.5million earmarked for the following years – but the Conservative administration says that there will also be ‘a significant push on helping Northumberland to recover and grow economically, with an emphasis on delivering a green and sustainable future for the county’.

This includes a ‘very, very ambitious’ capital spending programme of almost £750million over three years, including £291million in 2021-22.

Northumberland ratepayers face a 2% general rise (1.99%) in council tax, but the permitted social-care precept of 3% will be split over two years ‘to try to soften the impact’, so the overall bill is set to increase by 3.75% next year and 3.25% in 2022-23.

Cllr Nick Oliver, the Tory cabinet member for corporate services, said: “The global pandemic meant we had to communicate with residents a little differently this year, but we’d like to thank each and every person who took the time to get involved.

“What’s clear from the feedback is that people want to see our most vulnerable residents protected, which reflects our own priorities.

“While we do have to make savings, we are proposing an overall increase in the gross spend on council services, with substantial increases going into adult, children’s and local services, totalling around £17million.”

However, the deputy leader of the Northumberland Labour group, Cllr Scott Dickinson, said: “Let’s be absolutely clear, this is a smoke and mirrors budget that moves the majority of difficult decision-making to after the local elections in May.

“Not only that, but it is hidden behind a twisted capital scheme headline and penalises the most vulnerable in Northumberland.

“In the middle of a pandemic, where it will take residents and services years to recover, they level the largest cuts at adult and children’s services.

“They tell us that social care will get the money it needs while levelling an increase in council tax and levy to local residents, but at the same time slashing social care at the back door.”

The council leadership has previously emphasised how the savings are proportionate to spending, with adult and children’s services representing a huge chunk of the budget each year.

Cllr Oliver added: “We’d stress that these savings are not straight across-the-board cuts to levels of provision – the emphasis is on doing things more efficiently, doing things differently and investing in up-front support rather than higher-cost interventions further down the line.

“We’re looking at an overall budget spend of around £801million compared to £780million last year – every penny of which will be used to spend on services and invest in regenerating our communities.

“It’s obvious from the amount of feedback we’ve had how passionate and proud people are of the county they live in, and we hope our budget provides the best possible outcomes for everyone in Northumberland.”

Earlier this week, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported how timescales have slipped on three Northumberland school rebuilds, although the funding has been increased.

Proposed spends on projects in Amble, Berwick and Seaton Delaval have all been shifted into later years in the programme, something which Cllr Dickinson described as ‘election trickery at its worst’.

He also questioned the £25million set aside for third-party loans in 2021-22, including to regeneration company Advance Northumberland. However, in the last budget under the previous Labour administration in February 2017, this figure was £150million a year.

Cllr Oliver has previously defended the capital spending plan, highlighting that it includes investment ‘in all of our key towns’.

“We need to be building our economy to bring in more money through the likes of business rates,” he said. “We need to focus on things that in the long-term are going to generate plenty of income for the council.”

The council’s budget will be considered by the corporate services scrutiny committee and cabinet on February 8 and 9 respectively, before being up for approval at the full council meeting on Wednesday, February 24.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper. If you can, please do pick up a copy when you are at the shops. Thank you for your support.