Ensuring funding bids to government are 'watertight' and recovering debt could help ease Cheshire West and Chester's money worries, one opposition councillor has claimed.

The council's ruling cabinet met this week to approve a medium term financial (MTF) strategy, which outlined a bleak financial picture over the next four years.

According to the report, the overall funding shortfall faced by the council comes in at a predicted £141.3m between 2024-28, this takes into account predicted government grants minus expected increased costs in departments such as adult and children's social care, along with an allowance for national pay awards and pension contributions.

Some of that shortfall will be offset by council income – including things like council tax and business rates - of £44.7m.  The authority also plans to make budget savings of £49.2m, but that will still leave an outstanding black hole of £47.4m.

Labour councillor Carol Gahan, cabinet member for finance and legal, said more-and-more local authorities were facing financial difficulty and said  Cheshire West would have a clearer picture in December when it received its 2024-25 government grant allocation. She said a new budget would then be brought forward for members to vote on next February, but warned of further uncertainty ahead. 

She told the meeting: "The local government sector continues to face significant financial challenges and uncertainty over this four year period.

"And this MTF sets out this council's very challenging position. The size of the funding shortfall faced will be subject to change and will be refreshed as and when further information and intelligence is available."

Conservative councillor Gaynor Sinar (shadow finance and legal) expressed surprise at the rise in costs incurred by adult and children's services, particularly the latter.

She said she had only been in the role a short time and would be looking at some possible ways for the council to bring in more cash, saying she was 'confident' it could find savings when necessary.

She told members: "There is a fair amount of debt to get in. I know we are doing work on that. And it's making sure that no stone is unturned.

"The management of the property portfolio - I'm quite interested in looking into that. I want to make sure that we're putting in strong bids to government because I know some bids we've won and so some we haven't.

"I want to learn by any mistakes because government funding is essential going forward, so make sure that we have a watertight case going forward."