Barnet Council budget gap ‘will rise to £62m by 2024 without tough decisions’

Barnet Council’s budget gap could rise to an estimated £62million by March 2024 if action is not taken, the town hall heard on Monday.

The budget gap for 2018/19 is already £10m and will grow to £42m during the 2021/22 financial year.

The council’s policy and resources committee met to agree how the council should tackle the issue on Monday night.

Council leader Cllr Richard Cornelius (Con) said: “We are absolutely determined to ensure the future prosperity of the borough, and that means taking a rigorous approach to managing council finances.

“We have to ensure everything we spend is an efficient and effective use of resources and delivers value for money to our residents.

“That may mean making some tough decisions in the years ahead.”

But West Finchley councillor Ross Houston (Lab) said: “We went through a local election thinking council finances were under control, and, quite clearly, they were not.”