COLCHESTER Council’s cabinet has waved through its “toughest” and most challenging budget in recent memory as the authority looks to make millions of pounds of savings to balance its books.

The council’s resources boss Mark Cory painted a bleak picture as he outlined how the authority had to look to make “almost £5 million” in savings over the coming year.

The experienced councillor, who previously led the authority from 2018 to 2021, told the cabinet: “It’s the toughest one I’ve ever had to deliver.”

Mr Cory said Brexit had left the council grappling with rising costs, while the Covid-19 pandemic had added "an enormous shadow over resources”.

In a swipe at the recent tumultuous Liz Truss administration, he added: “The mini budget, under the Truss government, has caused further economic impacts and ripples that have further seen inflation go beyond what we would have been able to manage earlier in the year.”

He praised his colleagues and council officers for managing to set a budget which “ensures stability” amid “a reduction in funding and an increase in costs”.

While the budget is balanced for the coming year, a report predicts a budget gap of £801,000 for 2024/25, rising to £2,480,000 by 2027/28.

READ MORE: Colchester Council considering charge for garden waste collections

The books have been balanced largely through a series of planned savings, including drawing in a predicted £600,000 over the coming year through a charge for the council's garden waste collection service.

The budget report revealed the council could save £230,000 by developing and introducing a new policy for the provision of “recycling kits”.

The council also looks set to put a recruitment freeze in place, bidding to make a saving of £500,000 over the coming year.

The freeze will exclude roles based around health and safety and income generation, or roles which are fully externally funded or in specialist technical areas.

The council is to raise its portion of the council tax bill by £6.12 for the year - the maximum increase it can implement without needing approval in a local referendum.

This means a Band D property will be paying £211.59 for the Colchester Council portion of its annual council tax bill in addition to the demands from Essex County Council and the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

READ MORE: Colchester Council tax bill to rise amid 'unprecedented' budget gap

The report said: “£25.8m of the council’s spend is on staffing. Savings can be made across the whole organisation through initiatives to manage the staffing budgets.”

The authority also looks set to “reduce its spend” on sports and playing fields across the city, looking to parish councils and sports clubs to take on “management or ownership with an appropriate payment”.

The council hopes to save some £12,000 over the coming year through a new council tax penalty for people making fraudulent claims for discounts or exemptions.

'There will be some reduction in our services'

Mr Cory said: “Local government across the country finds itself in a difficult place.

“As we know, Thurrock Council for example nearby us, is almost £500 million in debt and trying to close that budget gap.

“Ours has been ten per cent of that, we’re managing to make almost £5 million of savings and increasing income where we can to cover the gaps.

“We do accept overall there will be some reduction in certain services, we will have to do less.

“We’ve had a reduction in funding and we’ve had increases in costs, like many household budgets, but it’s even more amplified when you’re a council that has a number of services dependent on energy, such as the waste and recycling service, such as Leisure World and our other leisure facilities.

“It’s also dependent upon an excellent team of staff that deserve a decent pay, and we have agreed a pay award in-year which has ensured we pay fairly and we have no strikes unlike in other sectors of the economy.”

The council struck a deal with public service union UNISON, which will see the authority fork out £700,000 over the coming year to fund a pay rise for its workers.

READ MORE: Colchester Council and UNISON reach pay agreement amid strike threat

The budget was approved with a series of amendments, including a reassessment of the savings to be made from introducing the garden waste collection charge.

A planned £300,000 saving which was to be made through a reduction in the council’s “neighbourhood services” has been scrapped.

The cabinet also scrapped a planned £50,000 saving, which was to be achieved through ceasing its agreement with Essex County Council to maintain verges and trees.

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