THE DISTRICT Council’s back-up cash will be gone after February when they put together their budget for the new financial year starting in April.

However, there will be no cuts in public services – for now.

But they will have to ‘grasp the nettle’ and find ways of raising money for the future – or else.

In an in-depth explanation about the state of play ahead of the up-coming Council Tax rise of 2.99 per cent, Cllr Roger James, the Cabinet member for finance, said Central Government’s continuing delays over Brexit are causing real headaches locally.

The Forest of Dean District Council’s Cabinet meets today (Wednesday) to try and get a 2019 budget resolved and then put it out to consultation before it is set at a meeting of the full authority on February 21.

Cllr James said: “There are these elements that clearly are uncertain at this moment in time which is making it extremely difficult.

“Couple that with what has now taken place on the Brexit situation whereby we were expecting to receive details of the financial settlement from Central Government initially on December 6, it then was going to be moved to after the 11th pending the meeting on Brexit that was due to take place.”

Indeed, the council will be using old data from last summer to estimate what the Government’s grant to them is going to be.

FULL STORY IN THE FORESTER