£45M CUTS OVER NEXT THREE YEARS
ALMOST £45 million of vital council services are to be cut over the next three years.
Every section of the community will be hit by the proposed Stoke-on-Trent City Council cuts.
The hit-list includes closing Longton Town Hall, swimming pools at Tunstall and Shelton and the Willfield Centre, in Bentilee.
And the council would no longer pay for Christmas lights in Stoke, Fenton, Longton, Burslem, Tunstall and Meir in an attempt to save £84,000 a year.
The saving proposals include:
More than £10 million of cutbacks to adult social care, health and community services;
Slashing regeneration spending by £9.6 million;
Cutting housing and neighbourhood services by £7.6 million;
Saving £6.6 million from children's services.
The savings plan comes less than three months after officers revealed a forecast £17 million overspend this year.
Now that figure has been reduced to almost £10 million which must be found by the end of March.
The council has also agreed to offer voluntary redundancy to 243 workers.
But council leader Ross Irving said the "warts and all" budget proposals for 2010 to 2013 aim to guarantee greater stability in the face of predicted government funding shortfalls.
The budget has to be approved in February.
Mr Irving said: "We have tried to involve the entire council.
"The choice members are facing is whether to reduce services or increase council tax, but I understand the Government would wish to keep council tax to a minimum in an election year."
But Mr Irving admitted he would not support all the proposals.
He added: "There are some decisions in the report I would not be happy with and I will be making my views known."
Director of central services Paul Simpson said: "This is the most comprehensive budget-setting consultation we have ever done with the public and councillors.
"We have given members an opportunity to scrutinise the proposals and come forward with their own alternatives.
"The proposals will be discussed later this month at scrutiny committees and there will be another round of scrutiny meetings and group briefings after Christmas."
Cabinet member for resources, Councillor Kieran Clarke, said he is pleased that members are being given the facts about the council's financial situation.
He said: "This list of proposed savings has not been sanitised; everything is there.
"It's a case of, 'Now you know everything we know, so let's decide what to do about it'."
Councillors have until the end of January to respond to the consultation.
The public budget consultation, called Your Money, Your Say, ends on Friday.
The proposed cuts: Page 6
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by ian norris, tunstall
Monday, December 07 2009, 5:08PM
“George: the new waste collection is costing £23 more per tonne to deal with the mixed green and food waste, and coulc be more depending on if the ever get around to accepting a tender.
Harry: The MPs are responsible for reducing the funding to local authoirities, the council tax makes up a small percentage of council budget, so when central funding is cut also local services need to be cut/”
by IH, S-O-T
Monday, December 07 2009, 8:42AM
“No one likes cuts, but as there is only so much money, the alternative is to keep services at the same level and increase funds by raising taxes. Some money may be saved by making processes more efficient but these often require ¿pump priming money¿ for either new equipment or training and inevitably, job cuts. The council needs to make some difficult choices and it can¿t make those choices without knowing what the residents of the city want. So let your local councillor know what you want to keep so they can fight for it.”
by Peter, U.K.
Monday, December 07 2009, 1:41AM
“A scary bedtime story!....
Now children, if you are quiet and good, i will tell you a scary story about a wolf !....
There is a reports of a big, scary Brown wolf, who has been known to have a den at a place called 'downing street', in the big city of London...
And this big, brown wolf has been seen stalking the streets, and in the last year, he has huffed, he has puffed, and he has blown the whole fookin' economy & country down!!...
But this bad wolf should get chased away by a famous slayer of wolfs & dragons, who goes by the name of Mr D.Cameron the bloodaxe...and we humbly pray for deliverance from future NewLbr wolf threats....
So children, don't have too many nightmares, and no smoking in bed !”
by Lilian, Dresden
Sunday, December 06 2009, 11:54PM
“One minute they're promoting a healthy well being for everyone and promising to inspire communities to encourage new interests for the young, next they're closing pools and community halls ! Close the buildings, board them up (or pay a London contractor to knock them down) and add more devastation and destruction to the city! Regeneration, we've seen none yet, so how can they cut what they haven't started!
As for proposing to close Longton Town Hall, the battle was won before and it can be won again!. The City Council hired someone to head up the regeneration of Longton not destroy it altogether, He's obviously not earning his money, so sack him and his salary will pay to keep the Town Hall open! In fact , get rid of all the Regeneration Chiefs and let let all our local building contractors take over the regeneration of this city. I am sure .given the funding ,they would do a better job, quicker and cheaper using local workforce . There are loads of skilled workers in this area desperate to be in full time employment again!
I agree with Kevin, Newcastle, it's time to make a stand if we are ever going to see any improvements in this City!”
by jeffrey, buxton
Sunday, December 06 2009, 6:41PM
“Yes cut everything except their own hansome expenses.”