A ‘LONG and hard’ look at further cuts to local services may be needed, near-bankrupt Somerset Council has admitted.

The authority said it might be necessary if more central Government support could not be provided this year.

Interim chief financial officer Clive Heaphy said Government support may be needed again and without it councillors would have to look for cuts or dip into reserves.

Mr Heaphy told councillors: “We will continue to work with the Government toward stabilisation.

“What the Government will expect is, having had two years of exceptional financial support now, we can start to demonstrate we are starting to manage our budgets within the overall levels of income, that is, our income and expenditure match.

“That does not rule out that we may need some further support, and in fact I will be having discussions with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government this week.

“Should it not be forthcoming, I think we will have to look long and hard about cuts we need to make and the reserves we have in order to balance the budget.

“But, undoubtedly here, we are on a journey that is going to take a number of years, and it will not happen overnight.

“We will be still making the case, should we need exceptional financial support for next year, and that case is not proven one way or the other yet, that it should be available to us.”

Mr Heaphy said a projected overspend of £5.4 million this year was predominantly driven by rising demand for children and adult services.

He was answering questions from Conservative opposition economic development portfolio holder Cllr John Cook-Woodman, who queried the council’s plan going forward if the authority did not receive permission for a third year running to sell assets and use the income for day to day spending.