BASILDON Council needs to save around £5 million in its latest budget as it deals with "a very difficult financial situation" – the council leader says. 

The authority is preparing its latest budget, which is expected to be announced in the next few weeks. Gavin Callaghan, Labour council leader, said the council is overspending by almost £3 million on its bin service, which is being scrapped, and around £3 million on temporary housing for homeless people.

He also says, "It's a big challenge," and is looking to spend more money on cutting the grass, "getting the bins right," keeping the weekly service, cutting the £3 million spent on homelessness, and building more council homes, among other priorities.

Gavin Callaghan said: "We are facing a very difficult financial situation as a council; I have repeatedly been honest and open with the public about that.

"The current bin system that the Conservatives introduced is overspending by the tune of about £2.8 million.

"We can't afford to carry on with that service and we are also seeing pressures because of temporary accommodation, the amount of money we're spending on hotels, beds and breakfasts and that kind of thing. Within the first six months since we've been back, we've acquired 300 new homes for temporary accommodation, and that is to try and reduce the bill so we can spend more money on things like cutting the grass, getting the bins right, making sure we have the weekly service, rather than spending £3 million on hotels and bed and breakfasts.

"It's a big challenge and we have around £5 million to save in the budget this year. 

"One of the things I am acutely aware of is the need to make sure we have massive reforms around Morgan Sindall, and around repairs and maintenance of our properties.

"I have been speaking with our officers about how the repairs budget, the estate renewal budget, what we can do to try and put some more money in to get repairs done quicker and to expedite some of this so residents are not waiting weeks, months, years for these repairs.

"I am also really clear: I want to build more council houses, we have 3,000 on our council housing waiting list, we have 800 families in temporary accommodation, we desperately need more housing in this borough, we will be building more council homes as we go."