Residents are being invited to ask questions on next year’s draft budget proposals – at a special live Q+A session. 
 

A cornerstone of next year’s plans will be a focus on economic recovery after a challenging financial year, with significant budget pressures due to increased demand in adult and children's social care, special educational needs and disability services, as well as the impact of Covid-19.
 

Savings of £8.3million have been identified to balance the budget for 2020-21 but over the coming years there will also be a significant push on helping Northumberland to recover and grow economically, with an emphasis on delivering a green and sustainable future for the county. 
 

Until the 21 of January next year people can go to haveyoursay.northumberland.gov.uk and give their views on a wide range of issues. 
 

And now a special budget question time will run from 5.30pm on 7 January where the leadership of the council and senior officers will answer questions put to them by the public – as part of the consultation process. 
 

Questions can be submitted between now and 5pm on 4 January VIA A SIMPLE FORM and a number of them will be read out and answered live. 
 

Residents will be able to watch the broadcast live on our Facebook page at facebook.com/NorthumberlandCC
 

Council Leader Glen Sanderson said: “The global Covid pandemic has presented profound challenges for us all this year – not least the way we communicate with residents and that’s why we’re doing things a little differently. 
 

“We’ve always prided ourselves as being a council that listens to its residents so that's why we’re up for a discussion on our budget proposals.  
"We’d really like to hear the questions people have, whether they want us to spend more or less or certain services, what we’re doing well and where we could improve. This is an opportunity for people to ask the questions that matter to them.” 
 

The Council’s budget consultation runs for six weeks until 21 January 2021 and will go before Full Council in February 2021.