County council planning £19m worth of budget cuts

Derbyshire County Council has announced plans to cut £19m from its budget in the coming year.

Cuts are being considered to care services, support for tourism and people in poverty ahead of a final budget plan for the next financial year due to be published in February.

The council is also set to increase its share of council tax bills by a 4.99%, "delete" vacant jobs and take £10m from its financial reserves to balance the books.

Leader Barry Lewis has said increasing costs and demand for services have put further pressure on the council's budget and it now needs to build on work done over recent years to make further efficiencies.

The council made £32m worth of savings going into the current financial year in April 2024.

Mr Lewis said: "During the course of the year, we have made no secret of the fact that the pressures on our budget continue to mount due to costs and demand which are beyond our control.

"However, we are in a better space now than we were this time last year and the solid savings plan we put in place at the beginning of 2024 is on track to achieve its target.

"We are continuing to build on this good work to ensure we set a balanced budget for the year ahead.

"While we have made a step change in the way we identify and deliver savings, the pressures keep increasing, so we are focusing on ways to reduce those pressures and also fundamentally changing our operating model, including automating and digitising support services where we can."

The council has said the rising cost of social care has contributed to pressure on all councils' finances, while the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions will add £2m to its direct costs.

Ongoing cuts to the delivery of adult care are expected to form the bulk of the savings, with £7m of savings anticipated in community and residential care closures.

Roughly £3m will be saved from redesigning support for people with long-term care needs.

It is also hoped well over £1m can be saved by digitising some aspects of care services.

Support for those in poverty through targeted funds could be cut by £1m.

Tourism services will also be affected with a phased reduction of about £200,000 from Visit Peak District over the next few years.

Councillors will also consider separate plans for council-run libraries to reduce their opening hours by 10% as part of ongoing efforts to save almost £1m over the next few years.

The council will launch a public consultation on the plans in the next few weeks and a final budget plan with updated figures on expected cuts to services is expected to be published next month.

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