THE leader of Swindon Borough Council has warned the shape of local authorities will be dramatically different in five years time following the latest budget announcements.

Last week Chancellor George Osbourne said there would be £20 billion worth of cuts spread across a number of different areas, including the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Coun Renard (Con, Haydon Wick) believes this is now paving the way for the abolition of most Government grants, meaning new ways for councils to operate must be found.

A report is due out later this summer which will outline where the council sees its priorities over the next decade with a reduced budget.

Earlier this year it was revealed £70 million worth of savings need to be made by 2020 and the latest announcement is only likely to increase pressure.

Coun Renard said: “The way Central Government is approaching Local Government finances there is little doubt things will be very different.

“There are already several authorities which don’t have any grants already and over the coming years there will be many more.

“None of the 57 councillors in the chamber have entered into politics to make cuts but that is the reality we are facing.

“Generally speaking, many of the surveys have shown that public confidence in councils is on the up.

"But we are reaching the stage where we will have to make more contentious and unpopular decisions as we look to manage our budget.”

Coun Renard believes if the council is to remain in a position where it can provide key services, such as adult and children social care, then it will need to look at the Government’s devolution options.

Shortly after the election, the Government outlined plans which could allow cities more powers over local circumstances but this could be applied to Swindon if it is able to work with neighbouring authorities.

“The challenge we face in Swindon is that we are surrounded by four predominantly rural authorities which understandably have different priorities to us,” said Coun Renard.

“We need to talk to them to find common grounds. I think devolution looks to be a way forward so we need to look hard to see what opportunities there are.

“In Manchester, with the Northern Powerhouse, it appears to be working.

“Nothing has been discussed yet but a possibility could be a health and social care collaboration between the hospital, clinical care group and the council.

“The future is going to be about looking to work with other bodies on the best way to deliver services with limited resources.”