A council committee has agreed to a revised yearly budget as the original version was "pure fiction", according to a councillor.

The reworked Oakham Town Council budget covering the financial year between 2026 and 2027 was agreed to by the council's finance committee at a meeting last night (Thursday, August 26) with unanimous approval.

The original version was authorised in November last year, but was later found to be "deficient" and "nowhere near reflecting the council's true finances". To bring its finances back into order, the council has since employed a locum clerk at a cost of £39,000.

"I am very pleased with the direction we are heading in," Cllr Martin Brookes said, Oakham town mayor and finance committee member.

"And to be honest, I'm feeling quite vindicated. Having the locum clerk on board to raise the same issues that have concerned me for years and her helping us correct past mistakes and failings has made a tremendous difference.

"I am also very pleased that we are following up on all of the internal auditor's recommendations. It was reassuring to find out that we are now thoroughly checking and verifying all expenditure."

Cllr Brookes told the LDRS that previous budgets had been passed through "without adequate care and attention", which in turn led to overspending in areas that were not accounted for. "People didn't know what they were doing. I wouldn't know what to do, which is why I go by the advice of the clerk.

"This goes back 10 years. The budget was always put together at the last minute without much thought. I've been hounded in the past for saying the budget was not adequate, but now it has been proved."

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The finance committee itself has been reestablished after two years with delegated powers to approve some accounts. It is hoped that by granting the additional powers, the council will be able to shorten its full meetings, which have recently run on for more than three hours.

The committee's decision will now be put to the full council for formal approval.