The local authority has a £9 million black hole
An East Lancashire local authority has awarded a contract worth hundreds of thousands of pounds for a consultant to find savings. The proposal priced at £350,000 for external help to close Blackburn with Darwen’s projected £9.9million financial black hole by 2025/26 was agreed by its executive board in June.
Conservative group regeneration spokesman Cllr Paul Marrow described the contract as ‘strange’ adding that he was not surprised the council’s spend-to-save scheme was already heading to break its approved budget. Mr Langton’s report said: “The council requires support with the medium-term financial challenge, although the council has a good track record of sound financial management.“These problems have become existential issues for many authorities.
“The council required external support to help senior officers to challenge current thinking. It is clear the council’s budgetary position requires a more fundamental in-depth review of what the council does and how it does it. This applies across the whole range of council activities. The proposed payments in the report add up to £367,000 – phase one £42,000, phase two £123,000, phase three £177,000 and phase four £25,000. Cllr Marrow said: “This is strange when we have our own financial experts.
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