SAVINGS totalling £10.5 million have been identified by St Helens Borough Council.

The local authority’s overview and scrutiny commission was due to met this week to discuss the plans.

The ‘terms of reference’ of it require it to provide an independent review of the council’s budget strategy and budget proposals made by the cabinet, and recommend if consultation or representations need to be made.

Members are recommended to submit a report and recommendation on the budget saving proposals to the executive director of corporate services, for inclusion in reports on the council’s budget for 2023-24, which is to be considered by cabinet on February 22 and council on March 1.

The commission was requested to set up a budget savings consultation task group and asked to review the £10.5 million of savings proposed within the consultation document and then provide recommendations of the savings to be progressed in order to "set a balanced budget" for 2023-24.

Departments/directorates have been tasked with identifying budget proposals to be considered to address the budget gap for 2023-24 and future years.

A report to the commission says proposals totalling £10.5 million have been put forward for consideration – and that these considerations have been shared with all members and formed the basis upon which the public consultation on the budget has been undertaken.

For 2023-24, the savings include:

  • £1,632,000 for children’s and young people’s services
  • £2,330,000 for integrated social care
  • £313,000 for public health
  • £1,160,000 for corporate services
  • £2,751,000 for place services
  • £2,327,000 for cross directorate savings.

The report to the commission says: “During the task group meeting, officers were asked to explain the process they had undertaken to develop the budget saving proposals, and to what extent officers had worked in collaboration to ensure considerations have taken place on issues which were cross cutting, impacting multiple portfolios and directorates.

“Officers explained that cross-directorate discussions have been thorough.

"It was noted that these proposals have been progressed in this context of limiting impact across each directorate, and that the savings options presented, had the least impact on services relative to all other options.”