THURROCK Council's ruling cabinet will be told next week that the current expected shortfall in the authority's budget at the end of this financial year is more than £33.6 million.

And it could get worse - members will be told by finance portfolio holder Cllr Shane Hebb that 'significant uncertainty' remains about the final position.

Cllr Hebb adds the shortfall is caused by a "combination of projected reductions in locally raised taxes, increased costs and expected reductions in fees and charges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic."

The figure of £33.6 million does not include the tens of millions the council will need to find to complete its A13 road widening project - nor the increased overspend of at least £5 million on the botched Stanford rail station project.

While the report, which can be read in full here, goes into detail about why there is a shortfall it offers little by way of a solution out of the financial morass the council may be about to step into.

The council's policy of borrowing of around £1.4 billion - much of which has been somewhat controversially borrowed to reinvest to generate income - may no longer be enough to offset a financial crisis which has already driven some councils across the country to the edge of effective bankruptcy.

As it seems increasingly unlikely the council will be able to borrow its way out of trouble, and it is not allowed to sell off any assets it has to fund ordinary operating costs it may be that the council will have to significantly increase council tax and raise other charges - but with such a significant gap even those acts may not be enough to meet the debt gap.

The council does have significant reserves - a source of pride to the current administration. In July Cllr Hebb reported to his colleagues: "We have always put money aside for a rainy day and now that policy will stand us in good stead as we weather the storm which will follow the coronavirus pandemic.

"The council's financial resilience reserves have increased from £8m in 2016, to £18.5m in 2020."

However, it now looks as if even the improved reserves will be dwarfed by the growing deficit.