I AM delighted to announce the provisional financial outturn shows that Copeland Council will have come within one per cent of budget for 2017/18.

This is a fantastic performance and a great credit to our staff who have worked tirelessly, whilst dealing with some extremely difficult circumstances, not least the cyber-attack, to deliver this excellent result.

As I prepare to launch the 2019/20 budget, it is worth pointing out that Central Government funding has reduced by 26 per cent over the four-year term (2015-19) but, as a result of restructuring the council towards becoming a modern 21st century business and finding more efficient ways of doing our business, we have not made one single cut to the services we provide to our residents during that period.

In fact, we have not only maintained existing services but we have improved them and reversed some previous cuts. This is alongside significant additional investment into IT, recycling/waste, bereavement services, street cleaning, tourism and the regeneration of our towns. Importantly, we have improved terms and conditions of our hard working staff and are setting an example to other businesses in the area as a Voluntary Living Wage employer.

Despite the harsh financial climate in which all councils continue to operate, I am delighted that once again in this year’s budget there will be no cuts to the services we deliver to our residents. This has been achieved, not by milking the taxpayer but by yet again pegging council tax rises well below inflation, among the lowest in the whole country, and this year a full one per cent less than our neighbours in Allerdale.

In real terms, we will have reduced the council tax burden throughout this current electoral term, and Copeland’s percentage of the total council tax bill our residents pay has also reduced.

As a council, we have built very good relationships with partners and businesses which was reflected in a recent independent peer review that shows the council in a very positive light. Businesses and partners have willingly worked with us to help fund and deliver our main priority of an ambitious social programme that any local authority would be proud of. It is one that benefits our most vulnerable with programmes to help address domestic violence, hunger, children living in poverty, social isolation, employability programmes and more.

From May, we will also have a more streamlined council as the number of councillors reduces from 51 to 33. Copeland has took the lead in reforming local government in this county while others have just continued to fight over old arguments instead of taking the progressive action we have in gearing up for the inevitable and necessary reform.

I’d like to finish by congratulating Emie Seward, from Millom, for winning the Young Sporting Hero of the Year Award at last week’s West Cumbria Community Heroes Awards last week. She is a credit to her sport and I wish her continued success.