Budget challenge

As a result of the national lockdown measures introduced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Colchester City Council is currently facing a £2m funding gap in its budget to support essential services this year. We are also anticipating a £3.5 million gap in our budget in the next financial year (2021/2020) and in future years.

When the restrictions were introduced, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, promised to support councils, saying: “The government will provide whatever funding is needed for councils to get through this and come out the other side.”

However, while the council has received some government funding it is currently not enough to cover the gaps in our budget this year or in future years. This means difficult decisions will need to be made about how we run our services in the future.