Philip Atkins

WE HAVE a great story to tell here in Staffordshire with continuing investment and the creation of more better quality jobs. We also have incredibly low unemployment, currently better than the regional and national figures, so there’s plenty to be proud of.

But you will have heard me say that local councils continue to face some of the most difficult financial conditions in modern times.

And, while we have managed to deliver balanced budgets and save £240m in the last nine years, over the next few years we will continue to face further challenges with some very difficult decisions to be made.

Growing demands on caring for our elderly and increased pressures on children’s services once again remain our biggest challenges. Ten years ago we spent £200 million on care, rising last year to our largest ever spend of £315 million, being invested to help support the most vulnerable in our communities.

But with increasing costs and less money coming in, the current situation is simply unsustainable.

We have been swift to recognise the enormity of the financial challenge and have already made efficiency savings worth millions of pounds across most council services. All helping to reduce costs while helping to minimise the impact on frontline services.

We continue to innovate and do things differently. For example, using smart technologies and smarter working to allow staff to work differently which are all helping us reduce costs and focus on our priorities.

We will also continue to work more closely with our partners like the NHS, police and the voluntary sector to help make people’s lives better. In addition to this, we will also be asking people to do more for themselves and support their neighbours and communities to help find solutions to local issues.

But, as ever, and like managing your household budget, we can’t spend more than we have coming in. This means we will have to prioritise things to make sure we can help the people in our communities with the most need.

While we still have to wait for final funding from Government in the New Year, it is right that we prepare and plan now for all eventualities.

Over the next few months we will continue to work with partners, staff and yourselves as we finalise our budget and spending plans.

By working together and all doing our bit, we can build a prosperous and more productive county.