WIRRAL Council faces "extremely tough decisions" to address a massive £30m shortfall in its budget.

That was the warning given by Cllr Janette Williamson, the cabinet member for finance, today.

Cllr Williamson said the authority’s “massive financial black hole” meant “everything that the council does is being reviewed” as part of a “massive reappraisal” of council services.

This even included services the council has a legal duty to provide such as adult social care. Cllr Williamson said legally protected services could “face reduction where an enhanced service is currently provided”.

Cllr Williamson said the budget shortfall was caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen the council lose income in areas such as leisure, parking and other fees, while incurring extra costs due to offerings including financial support for small businesses and extra funding to support the social care sector.

These problems are faced by council’s across the country and mean Wirral Council is “not alone in facing difficult decisions” in Cllr Williamson’s words.

The government supported councils by offering them funding in a number of phases earlier this year, though the money offered was described as “far short of what we need” by Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram.

The government has also said that up to 75% of a council’s net losses over a certain threshold will be met by central government.

Cllr Williamson said Wirral Council was constantly talking to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in an attempt to seek further funding, but the government wants to know what Wirral’s own plan to address its financial turmoil is before offering more support.

Concluding her update on the perilous situation, Cllr Williamson appealed to other parties in the council for support.

She said: “The increased scale of the financial challenge Wirral now faces is not of its own making, it is the cost of keeping our residents safe and well during the Covid pandemic.

“This is not the time for political parties to score cheap points. We must work together for the good of our residents, those residents we were all elected to serve.”

Wirral Council is moving to a new model, called the ‘committee system’, at the end of the month. It is hoped that this will allow councillors of different political persuasions to be involved in key decisions, rather than one cabinet member having an overriding say.

Cllr Williamson added: “The new committee system presents an opportunity for all political parties to actively participate in the budget setting process. I will strive to work across the parties in a collegiate and positive way and expect the same commitment back.”