Telford & Wrekin Council outlines savings plan
Telford & Wrekin Council has outlined how it plans to make £20 million of savings next year as it seeks to find a total of £40 million of savings by 2014.
The Council’s budget proposals follow unprecedented cuts in Government grants between 2011 and 2014, while costs Telford & Wrekin Council has to meet continue to rise due to inflation at near five per cent and increased demands placed on some services.
The Council also proposes to ask Telford and Wrekin residents of whether they want to accept a government grant which would freeze council tax but result in even bigger tax rises in future years or to increase council tax next year to prevent even bigger rises or deeper service cuts the following years.
The Council is proposing a series of cuts to services to help it meet the savings that it must find, while protecting as far as possible front line services through further cuts to senior management, better procurement and more efficient ways of working.
The report will be considered by the Council’s cabinet on December 22 and the proposals if backed will then go out for public consultation until 31 January.
Next year the Council plans to make almost £8.6 million cuts to services and has proposals to save a total of £17.6 million from services over the next three years.
This is on top of a restructuring programme to reduce its staff costs by 20 per cent, saving a further £16.7 million.
The Council has drawn up its budget proposals after talking to more than 3,000 people in the borough earlier this year to help decide priorities for where it should focus its efforts.
It proposes a range of cuts to services saving £8.6m next year, includes reducing the number of Community Recycling Centre sites from four to three, closing the Newport centre and reducing the opening of the other sites to five days a week, including weekends, Fridays and Mondays.
The frequency of litter picking across the borough, and road sweeping particularly in district centres would also be reduced, while introducing a rapid response service to respond to local problems and increasing the number of litter bins.
The opening hours at five neighbourhood and two main libraries would also be reduced.
The budget also proposes charging more for some services.
Charges would be increased for low level preventative care to vulnerable adults – because the current charge doesn’t cover its costs.
Car parking charges in council-owned car parks in Ironbridge and at Telford town centre would be increased. Residents in Ironbridge would also see a a charge for the residents parking permit scheme.
Some leisure services would also see a reduction in concessions offered.
One significant new investment is proposed – a new £6 million programme for Brookside, which previously has not benefitted from the wider regeneration works across the borough.
The Council’s budget consultation will launch on December 23 and can be seen at www.telford.gov.uk/budget
