Extra income and savings identified to head off cost of living overspend

“We’re in the same position as every household in this country. We’re not immune to the cost of living crisis and the inflationary pressures stoked up by the pandemic and Putin’s war on Ukraine. So we’ve got to tighten our belts.

“We asked our officers to identify areas where we could save money and boost income and they’ve been working hard over the summer to come up with these options but there is still a great deal of work to be done. But by beginning to tackle the problem early in this financial year, we’re giving ourselves more room for manoeuvre

“Unlike central government, we have a legal obligation to balance our budget every year so we have very little scope for meeting these pressures without cutting services, cancelling or delaying major infrastructure projects or proposing even higher council tax rises next year. And that’s something that people can ill afford.

“Our essential frontline services have to be prioritised and we must try to continue to support the local economy to help Devon bounce back from the pandemic.

“But global price increases and spiralling inflation are having a major impact on our day-to-day services and infrastructure projects and we are facing extraordinary additional costs at a time when budgets are already under strain. We are facing a winter of difficult decisions and tough choices.”