LAST chance for residents and businesses to have their say on County Council’s budget

Local residents and businesses are being asked to have their say about their priorities for spending in the next financial year through an online budget consultation.

The insights gained from the survey will be used to help inform thinking as the Council develops its spending plans for 2020/21.

Every year ECC spends around £2 billion on essential services for the people of Essex such as social care, highways and education. However for every £1 the County Council received five years ago from government to fund these services, only 37p is received today. More and more people that live in the county are accessing and using ECC services, but costs are also increasing.

Leader of the Council, Cllr David Finch, said: “Our effectiveness as a Council was confirmed recently when for the second year running, Essex was named in the top ten most productive councils by the consultants Impower.

“But year on year, the money we receive from Government has been reducing, meaning that we have to make very important and sometimes difficult decisions on where we spend it, and where we could make savings. We are also affected by factors such as inflation and the National Living Wage in the same way all large employers are.

“That is why we are consulting with residents and local businesses in Essex, to find out what their priorities are. We have already had to make over £370m of savings over the past five years, so it really is important to gather the views and ideas from residents and businesses before the planning process begins.”

The consultation can be accessed here: https://consultations.essex.gov.uk/rci/budget-consultation-2020/

ENDS