The Draft Council Business Plan and Financial Strategy for 2014/15 to 2016/17, which outlines what Shropshire Council’s budget will be spent on over the next three years, was approved at a meeting of full Council.

It was given the backing of scrutiny and Cabinet councillors earlier this month, and the public have also shared their views on the proposals.

The plan includes savings proposals to address a funding gap of £80 million over the next three years out of the overall annual budget of almost £600 million, and plans for new schemes and projects such as the potential development of a university for Shropshire and supported living services for adults with learning disabilities.

At today’s meeting, councillors also agreed to freeze Shropshire Council’s element of the council tax for 2014/15, for the fifth year running.

Councillor Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council, said:

“This business plan and financial strategy shows how the council will move forward with new ways of working during the next three years.

“Back in May we set out that we would be delivering services in different ways to respond to the financial challenges ahead.

“There are savings to make and tough decisions for us – but we are not sitting back and just letting the axe fall. We are radically changing by looking at everything we do.

“We can’t keep squeezing more and more out of the same old systems; we are focusing on what our customers’ need and exploring all options to get the most out of the money available.

“We are seizing opportunities for investment and developing innovative approaches such as the creation of our wholly-owned company ip&e, which gives us the freedom to create public profit.

“By taking the front foot we are in a position where we can freeze our share of the council tax again, face the pressures on the economy and the council, and have a firm basis to further develop our approach up until 2017 and beyond.”