We have now set our budgets and council tax; the chancellor has set out his plan for recovery and children are returning to school. All COVID statistics are moving in the right direction and we continue on our slow but irreversible journey back to something approaching normality. After a tumultuous year it feels like confidence is slowly returning – but the challenges that lie ahead are great.

The delivery of this year’s Budget will be one of the most difficult I have worked on in 32 years of local government. Our ability to adapt and respond will be put to the test. Each twist and turn could impact upon our assumptions. Our ability to predict income from car parking, the amount of business rates we collect, the number of residents entitled to council tax support, the number of those requiring adult and children’s social care and the myriad of support packages we need to put in place will all need to be closely monitored.