Derbyshire County Council: Debate called over budget black hole

A crunch debate will be held over the financial situation at Derbyshire County Council as it faces a £33m budget black hole.

The authority has been struggling to balance its books, despite imposing strict curbs on spending in September.

An "extraordinary" meeting has been triggered by five members of the council's Labour opposition.

They had been calling for more chances to scrutinise the state of financial affairs at the council.

The debate, which will take place before the scheduled full council meeting on 29 November, will see councillors question council leader Barry Lewis and the chief finance officer on the authority's financial position.

Opposition councillors made the move after the forecasted overspend was announced, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The overspend was reduced after previously being predicted to be £46.4m in the autumn, but residents have been warned more "difficult" cuts will have to be made by the end of the financial year.

Mr Lewis has blamed the pressure on the authority's finances on inflated fuel, energy and materials costs, as well as a continuing increase in demand for adult and children's social care.

The council has been planning a recruitment freeze and a ban on all non-essential travel in an effort to reduce costs.

The LDRS said the council would look to revive its community library project, announced in 2018, which aimed to hand over 20 of its least-used libraries to volunteer-run groups.

All work on the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route project - the county's most expensive infrastructure scheme - has also been paused.

The project increased in price from £130m to £166m last December.

Meanwhile, the council has also "paused" and "reduced" all work relating to cutting its carbon footprint, the LDRS said.

The authority had committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2032 or sooner.

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