CHESHIRE East Council leader Sam Corcoran says the authority remains "dedicated to minimising the impact on the most vulnerable" in Crewe and the rest of the borough when finalising its financial plans.

He added that the pandemic has put the council under "acute" financial pressure.

The Labour leader said: "The council's new draft Corporate Plan, that is currently under consultation, aims to make the council more open, fairer and greener over the next four years.

"The council remains under acute financial pressure due to the impact of the pandemic. In Cheshire East most of our funding goes on social care and with an ageing population the amount spent on adult social care is increasing year on year, while government funding for councils is cut.

"We remain dedicated to minimising the impact on the most vulnerable."

The council is currently undertaking a public consultation on the budget, with councillors due to give feedback on the draft proposals later this week at a meeting of the borough's corporate overview and scrutiny committee (2pm on Thursday).

Cllr Corcoran made the comments via his new year's address, in which he also said that the NHS "will struggle to cope with the added pressure of Covid-19" this winter.

He added: "In recent winters the NHS has been under pressure and going into the pandemic the NHS was already short of nurses and doctors due to a creeping underfunding and privatisation. We already have the highest death toll in Europe. This winter will be difficult.

"However, the roll out of the new AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine brings hope that by the spring things will begin to improve and by the summer most restrictions will, hopefully, have been lifted."