Council chiefs are still assessing the scale of cutbacks for sector-led improvement budgets following the Government's imposition of a further top-slice on the Local Government Association's (LGA) funding settlement, The MJ understands.

The timing of the £2.2m additional cut, made in the immediate aftermath of the chancellor's March Budget, gave the LGA less than two weeks to prepare its finances before the start of the new financial year on 1 April. The work of the improvement board is likely to bear the brunt of cost savings.