WARRINGTON Borough Council is confident it will continue 'delivering value for money' as it works to bridge a £22 million gap in its budget for next year.

The council has submitted a report to the scrutiny committee outlining the current position and the various challenges it faces to balance its books.

The authority, which has saved more than £93 million since 2010, is being 'squeezed on both sides' by a combination of escalating costs and reduced funding from central Government.

The bill for adult social care continues to rise while at the same time the Government has again decided to award Warrington the lowest settlement funding position in the north west.

Warrington has the fifth lowest council tax in the region and due to the two per cent referendum limit, is only able to raise its Band D council tax by £24.11 compared to neighbouring Stockport, which can charge an additional £27.94 for a Band D household.

This 'discrepancy' compared to other local authorities equates to a shortfall of £34m.

As part of its pledge to continue delivering, the council adopted an outcomes based budgeting approach in 2014-15.

It has proven effective in providing a long-term strategic and sustainable financial plan and will enable it to continue operating in a way that 'works better, costs less and focuses on delivering outcomes' which put residents first.

It also puts accountability and innovations at the heart of what the authority does, while focusing around the pledges of 'Growing a Strong Warrington'.

The council will consult on the proposals before a second report goes to the scrutiny committee in early February, ahead of the full council meeting at the end of that month.

Councillor Russ Bowden, executive member for corporate finance, said: "Yet again the council is facing a challenging budget and some tough decisions will need to be made.

"However, residents can be assured that we are working hard to identify every practical way of delivering on our pledges of Growing a Strong Warrington.

"We have a track record of innovation and delivering value for money and I'm confident that will continue despite the challenging budget position."