A?SURVEY has been launched seeking people’s views on options for managing a shortfall in the money needed to balance Hampshire’s budget.

By 2019/20, the county council is expecting to face a deficit of £140million as a result of ongoing national austerity measures, demographic changes reflecting increases in demand for some services, and inflationary pressures.

Council leader Roy Perry said: “Although we have been preparing for this challenge for some time, finding these additional savings is inevitably going to be extremely tough. This is because we have already made significant reductions in our spending over the last nine years to the sum of £340million.

“The picture is worsened by the fact that central Government revenue support grant funding for Hampshire will cease altogether in 2019/20 – but demand for county council services continues to rise.

“The steps that we have taken so far, which have served us well, have included securing savings early, reinvesting in new, more efficient ways of working, and making prudent use of our reserves to meet gaps in funding. However, we now have to consider more radical ways of making ends meet, at the same time as protecting vital public services.

“The Serving Hampshire – Balancing the Budget consultation asks residents and stakeholders to give us their views on a number of high-level, strategic options, including potential changes to services, further ways to generate income, use of reserves, potential increases to council tax, and changing local government in Hampshire.

“It is important to stress that at this stage the county council is not proposing specific changes to services. Any proposals will be informed by feedback from this consultation and subject to further, more detailed public engagement. Therefore, only examples of possible service changes have been provided.”

The consultation will close at 11.59pm on August 21.

Feedback will be used to inform final savings proposals put to select xommittees and executive members before consideration by the full county council in October.

The survey can be completed online at www.hants. gov.uk – for paper copies, e-mail [email protected], or visit Hampshire libraries. They should be returned in an enveloped, marked Freepost Hampshire.