With just one week before George Osborne lifts the lid on the Autumn Statement, what are local councils looking for in this year’s announcement?
One thing is certain – ‘business as usual’ is not an option. Funding pressures are mounting. Sixty per cent of councils surveyed reported that they are facing the tough decision of having to stop some services as early as next year. If nothing changes, councils will be facing a funding gap of £12.4bn by 2020.
Just last week, the National Audit Office warned that government has a ‘limited understanding’ of the impact of budget cuts on local authorities in England.
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