COUNTY COUNCIL SAVES £1.9M DESPITE COVID

STAFFORDSHIRE County Council has underspent on its budget by almost £2 million – despite facing more than £35 million in extra costs caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The authority spent more than £500,000 on creating temporary mortuary space at the Staffordshire County Showground, as well as handing out more than four million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to health and care providers and businesses during the 2020/21 financial year. In June 2020 it was facing a £10 million overspend on its annual budget, mostly caused by the response to the pandemic.

But a year on it has been reported to cabinet members that the authority managed to end 2020/21 with a £1.9 million saving. A report to last week’s cabinet meeting said that the Government had provided funds and grants worth more than £110 million to help the council deal with the effects of the pandemic. Financial challenges included £35.4 million additional costs, as well as £2.68 million in lost income.

Council leader Alan White said: “Everything was up in the air, and yet we’ve managed to deliver an out turn this financial year which was a tribute to the efforts of our officers, our communities and our partners including the NHS. “I would like to say a very sincere thank you for all that work – it has been extraordinary.” Councillor Ian Parry, the authority’s recentlyappointed cabinet member for finance and resources, added: “I think there’s a tremendous success story in this report. It covers our darkest hours of the pandemic.”