Introduction

Like councils up and down the country, Shropshire Council faces a very tough financial position, and we need your help in shaping some difficult decisions that lie ahead.

The latest reporting shows that we are 80% of the way towards our £51.4m spending reductions target for this financial year, with five months left to report on. Our plan is to build on these strong foundations to overcome thechallenges that still lie ahead into the next financial year and beyond.

Our biggest pressure is that the funding we have to deliver our services hasn’t kept pace with the increasing demand that we are seeing, especially in adults’ and children’s social care, which makes up nearly 80% of the council budget. Just as an example, the number of children in care in Shropshire has nearly doubled since 2018 and 30% of ourresidents are now over 60, with a growing number who need support. The cost of delivering this support is alsohigher than ever, due to stubbornly high rates of inflation.

Essentially, we are having to do much more with less so we can carry on supporting the most vulnerable people in our communities. To keep doing this, we will have to make some difficult decisions.

We will need to change the way we deliver some services, whilst others may need to stop altogether.

We want to understand your priorities, as residents, businesses, employees, or stakeholders, so that any future decisions are made with these in mind.

This budget consultation is an opportunity for you to share your thoughts on how we can achieve the £50m spending reductions that we must make before 2025, which includes the 4.99% council tax increase that the Government allocation assumes we will make.

The themes include demand management, increasing efficiency, increasing income, reducing third-party spending, and making sure that we are the right size as an organisation.

The survey is based on the Medium Term Financial Strategy. Please be sure to read the full introduction and check out the related documents on the Consultation page before taking the survey.

The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. We appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/shropshire-council/promotional-materials-for-partners/