GRASS and hedge cutting, drain clearing, adult and children’s services, CCTV coverage and the number of recycling centres in Somerset could all be cut as the county faces enormous financial problems.

Proposals to address Somerset Council’s “stark and challenging” financial position are included in a new report prepared ahead of a meeting of the authority’s Executive on December 6.

In it, officers outline how a forecast £100 million funding gap in the council’s budget for 2024/25 has dropped to £87m as savings already identified take effect.

The predicted overspend for the 2023/24 financial year has also dropped, from £27m to £19m.

However, the report warns of a raft of cuts and changes which could be coming as the council looks to balance the books in the coming years.

A spokesperson said: “However, in order to close the gap and balance the budget next year a series of service reductions, efficiency savings, and increases to fees and charges, including Council Tax, will need to be considered.

“The report highlights a number of services which could be redesigned, reduced or even stopped, subject to consultation.

“There is also a warning that even that may not be enough to fully close the gap, and a planned transformation programme will need to be accelerated and broadened to reduce the size of the council in future.”

As well as considering cuts to services such as park maintenance, grass and hedge cutting, adult services, child services and more, council tax is also set to rise in a bid to raise much-needed funds, the report said.

Cllr Bill Revans, leader of Somerset Council

Leader, Cllr Bill Revans, said: “We’ve been saying for some time that the funding model for local government is broken as our costs are rising faster than our income, especially in Adult Social Care.

“Sadly, while this is a national problem, it will soon have a very real impact on local public services.

“We’ve said this is a financial emergency, now we’re seeing what that looks like in reality.”

In last week’s Autumn Statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt did not increase funding for councils.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said council funding this year has already been “much less generous than planned” due to rising inflation and other factors.

And things are not set to improve any time soon, it added.

“As was common across public services, there was no top-up to reflect this (increased costs for councils),” the IFS said.

“There was nothing to help with the spiralling costs of of children’s services, and nothing new to support adult social care services through the coming winter.”

READ MORE: Somerset Council could declare bankruptcy – and declares ‘financial emergency’
READ MORE: Finances ‘stark and challenging’ at Somerset Council

And Cllr Revans said the council was facing tough decisions in the coming months to keep the authority afloat.

“No decisions have yet been made but it’s clear we’re going to have to look carefully at every saving proposal,” he added.

“It’s either that or we follow the likes of Birmingham and Croydon Councils and serve a S114 notice. Both scenarios mean we will be effectively setting an emergency budget in February.

“We will take these hard decisions, working with national government, our communities and our partners to minimise the impacts on our residents and achieve the best outcome possible in this awful situation.

“I am pleased to have spoken to some of our MPs to outline the situation at Somerset Council and they have agreed to speak up for us.

“I would urge residents to lobby your local MP and ask them to join us in rolling up our sleeves to work together for the people of Somerset.”

For more details – and to read the report in full – log on to somerset.gov.uk.