Watch: Coverage of CCN’s warning that counties need to to save another £1bn next year

CCN Latest News, CCN News 2018 | 21 September 2018

This week, the County Councils Network warned that county authorities will be forced to make ‘unpalatable’ decisions next year with almost £1bn in new reductions needed to balance budgets.

With CCN’s 36 member councils earmarking £685m of savings and cuts for their 2018/19 budgets, on top another £233m in cutbacks which have yet to be identified, the network’s calls for government intervention and extra resource for councils was featured across BBC News. The online story was one of the most-read stories of the day on the BBC.

Read our press release here.

CCN’s research, which formed part of its response to the local government finance settlement technical consultation, was featured on BBC News at Six and Ten, which you can watch below.

As part of the same piece, you can see Cllr Martin Hill, CCN’s devolution spokesman and leader of Lincolnshire County Council talk candidly about his authority’s future challenges should not extra resource be forthcoming.

CCN was also featured throughout the day on the BBC News Channel. Below, you can watch a live interview with the network’s vice chairman Cllr Philip Atkins, who is leader of Staffordshire County Council.

He told the BBC that counties have very ‘difficult decisions’ to make in the coming years and cites pressures in adult social care and children’s services as a major reason for councils facing funding pressures. In total, counties overspend by some £264m on children’s services alone last year.

Our research was picked up by The Guardian, The Independent, The i, Huffington Post, and even the New York Times.

CCN will continue to advocate for the need for extra resource in the local government finance settlement – due to be outlined this winter – and for substantial new funding for councils in the Spending Review.