Cheshire East former deputy leader slams overspending services

Cllr Craig Browne (Ind) was speaking at today’s (Thursday) meeting of the highways and transport committee.

Highways is predicted to come in under-budget by £500k at the end of the year.

But that money can’t be used on highways and transport – instead it will have to go into the whole council ‘pot’ as Cheshire East struggles to stave off effective bankruptcy.

Highways committee members were not happy.

Cllr Craig Browne (Image: Cheshire East Council) Cllr Browne (Alderley Edge, Ind) said: “I just find this beyond frustrating. It's very, very clear where the overspend in this council is coming from.

“It's very noticeable that it’s the place-based services [such as highways] once again, that are coming in either on budget, or slightly under budget, and then we’ve got this huge overspend in adults and health and children and families.

“And if this was a one off, I could accept the reasons…

“But as we all know, it isn't a one off. It's something that we're seeing year after year after year.

“What facility do we have, as a committee, through you chair, to write to the chairs of adults and health and children and families and ask them, when are they going to get their houses in order?”

Cllr Mark Goldsmith (Image: Cheshire East Council)

Highways committee chair Mark Goldsmith (Wilmslow, Ind) said: “I think it's a fair comment, and one that the council has recognised.”

He said the work of the transformation program will mostly focus on those departments to ensure that they can keep within their budgets.

Cllr Goldsmith added: “The point of the transformational process is to stop spending ever more money on children and families and to get more money into the areas where the public do want the money to be spent, such as transport.”

Cllr Russell Chadwick (Dane Valley, Con) objected to the underspend going back into the council pot.

Cllr Russell Chadwick (Image: Cheshire East Council) “We’ve got a very meagre budget for highways and I would not like to half a million pounds taken out of the highways budget when we’ve got a crumbling network,” he said.

Cllr Goldsmith said: “We have come in with a very good performance. It is a shame we can’t spend that money elsewhere within our department, but the greater needs for keeping the council afloat are needed at this point in time.”

Cllr Liz Braithwaite (Image: Cheshire East Council) But Cllr Liz Braithwaite (Macclesfield, Lab) pointed out children’s services and adults services had statutory duties which had to be fulfilled.

Liz Braithwaite: “Comparing committees is like comparing apples and pears and there is no direct correlation,” she said.

“In children and adults services the council is legally obliged to provide no matter how much they cost.”

Cheshire East Council is forecasting an overall overspend of £27m at the end of 2024/5.

The bulk of this - £20.8m - is down to adults and health but children’s services is also predicting overspending by £7m.