THE long term debt total facing Cumbria County Council is truly staggering.

£130 million of loans taken out in 18 months and long-term debt close to £400 million.

It is difficult to believe that there are things that the county council spent money on back in the mid-1970s, which have still not been paid off today.

But to be fair, the county council is in the business of major capital projects. Everything from new fire stations to care homes, schools, bridges and roads worn down by tourists, weather and floods.

These sorts of projects don’t come cheap and the money has to be found from borrowing.

Yet the funding given to Cumbria County Council since 2010 has fallen close to £250 million as part of the austerity drive.

Yet in that time, demand for services have risen and the council has had to find ways of cutting its cloth, often by losing staff.

Many will be familiar with ‘consolidation’ of debt - where you take out a larger amount to pay off an old commitment but at a lower interest rate.

This can save a bit of money on debt repayments, but it extends the length of time you end up paying it off. These historical issues are no-one’s fault but they must surely pose a future financial burden for tax-payers?