North East Lincolnshire Council ‘has got to be more competitive’ in its approach to providing services and generating income, senior council leaders have said.
It added that it was ‘heavily reliant’ on central government funding and will need to become more sustainable as income from Whitehall reduces even further.
Council officers have also said that the new commercial approach will help with commissioning services, find savings and improve income for the council in the long-term.
Councillor Matthew Patrick
Former portfolio holder for finance councillor Matthew Patrick praised the plans before the council and said: “Certainly the way councils could operate in this sort of sphere 20 years ago is gone.
“Money isn’t as abundant as it used to be and whilst we’re not a private money-making private sector organisation — we’ve certainly got to look at our systems and practices and make sure we’re competitive with ourselves.
“We have to be making sure we’re running in an efficient manner rather than a clunking bureaucracy the council might have been many years ago.”
Council officers will take the strategy forward and report back in 12 months time.
Speaking following the cabinet meeting, the current finance portfolio holder councillor David Watson said: “North East Lincolnshire along with other authorities is suffering from huge government spending cuts and by 2020 we’ll get no government support whatsoever, so it’s essential we look for different revenue streams.”
“It’s early days so there are some options to be considered, but we will certainly work hard to increase revenue streams to protect services for residents of North East Lincolnshire.”
Other councils have taken out loans in order to fund major projects.
Some authorities have joined a Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government scheme to retain business rates.
However, this will see their revenue and support grant, the main source of funding for local authorities, reduced.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!