THE financial pressures facing Argyll and Bute Council look unlikely to end any time soon – with the local authority facing a potential funding gap of almost £34 million over the next three years.

A report by the council's head of strategic finance says the authority faces a likely funding gap of between £16.9 million and £33.9 million between now and 2020.

And the predicted shortfall for 2017-18 alone is between £3.4m and £10.5m.

Kirsty Flanagan's report sets out the best and worst case scenarios facing the council – and makes it clear that further cuts in spending and services are all but inevitable if the authority is to balance its books.

In her report Ms Flanagan says: “The position in 2018-19 and 2019-20 is worse than originally anticipated last year as it was expected that the funding situation would improve, however, from the UK Budget 2016 it is clear that austerity is going to be with us for the next five years, with significant additional spending cuts required in later years.”

Ms Flanagan's report was due to be considered by the council's powerful policy and resources committee as this issue of the Advertiser went on sale on Thursday.

Her report also notes the announcement earlier this year by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that councils will, from April 2017, have discretion to increase council tax by up to three per cent a year – although in Argyll and Bute, such an increase would generate only £1.236m in extra income.

In February the council agreed budget cuts of £10m for 2016-17 with the loss of 82 jobs.