Norfolk County Council has launched a Budget Simulator to assist them to tackle the three-year funding gap of £182m and try to balance the 2014/15 budget whilst still protecting key services.
Any Norfolk resident can take up the challenge using the council’s online Budget Simulator that has been launched ahead of the Council’s formal budget consultation that will begin later in September. The Simulator is intended to give people an understanding of the challenges facing the County Council.
The Simulator’s starting point is that if Norfolk County Council continues to spend the same amount on services as it does now, there would be a £73m shortfall (8.8%) next year (2014/15)*, part of a £182m funding gap over the next three years. This is because of cuts in Government funding, increased costs and higher service demand.
The Simulator presents six service area themes: Adult Social Care, Environment, Transport & Development, Cultural Services, Organisational Services, Children’s Services and Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service. Within these themes are a number of services where the budget can be cut, kept the same, or increased – but the overall spend has to be reduced by 8.8%. Once the budget has been balanced, the Simulator provides a glimpse of possible service consequences that could flow from the decisions that have been taken.
Steve Morphew, Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Personnel, said: “The tough decisions are impossible to avoid with funding cuts on this scale. We have to get our house in order to make sure we are getting the best for the people of our county and spending the reduced amounts wisely, but there is no escaping the fact that the prospects for the next three years are grim.
“We can’t hope to please all of the people all of the time. The only way we can hope to reflect the needs and priorities for our communities is to engage in an informed debate with as many people as possible – not just those whose voices are always heard and sometimes drown out those who can’t shout as loud.
“We hope the Simulator will be an easier way to get an understanding of what gets spent and how spending different proportions on different priorities affects the overall budget. It is intended to help individuals and organisations get ready for the consultation that starts later this month.
“The council budget can be sprawling, detailed and complex. Instead of using that as an excuse we are trying to find ways of helping people understand and get involved in deciding spending priorities. We are launching this under the banner ‘Norfolk – Putting People First’ so our first job is to make sure people can be heard.”
Click here to go to the Budget Simulator Challenge
