Council agrees £9.2m of cuts (From Bucks Free Press)
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Buckinghamshire County Council agrees £9.2m of cuts
3:49pm Monday 26th July 2010 in News By Oliver Evans
Buckinghamshire County Council's offices in Aylesbury
COUNCIL chiefs today warned of ‘pain’ for residents after moving to slash £9.2m from budgets.
Buckinghamshire County Council says cuts are needed because of an increase in demand for services and a cut in Government cash.
The authority – which runs services including roads, social services and schools – will release details of where the axe is set to fall on Wednesday. Changes need council approval.
It came as it was confirmed the council’s transport department will look at slashing money for speed cameras so that cash can be ploughed into roads maintenance.
And it said jobs would go in IT, finance and HR departments as part of the latest round of savings.
Leader Councillor David Shakespeare told The Bucks Free Press: “It is reductions across every service in the county council.
“Many of these we would rather not have to consider doing and it may well be, in the longer term process of normal budget making, that we would seek to reverse some.”
The Conservative said: “We are faced with having to pay back Labour’s debt mountain and there is not escape from that.
“Someone said ‘is it fair that local Government and the council taxpayer has to pick up it’s part of the pain because of the banks?’ “The answer is ‘no, it isn’t fair, but unfortunately that is what we have to live with’.”
Penny Gray, spokesman for the BCC Unison union branch, said: “We are disappointed that this Con-Dem Government have decided to take this stance.
“The people who work for local authorities, the librarians, the support workers and admin workers, they haven’t caused this massive deficit.
“It is the bankers and we have to bear the brunt of it.”
The council’s revenue budget is £303m and the cuts come on top of a bid to save £52m over four years.
Cabinet members were told costs had risen because of an increase in children needing care after the Baby P scandal, road repairs from the severe winter and a drop in car park income.
To add to this, £5.5m has been slashed from this year’s BCC’s budget by the new coalition Government’s emergency budget.
Cllr Shakespeare said the savings were the same as an extra six per cent on its share of the council tax – but the Government is expecting a zero per cent increase next year.
He said: “Many of the things we have to consider reducing are things we would not like to do.”
Cllr Patricia Birchley, responsible for adult social services, said the cut £1.4m cut to her budget ‘is a real worry for us’.
“These cuts are very serious and we will do the best we can,” she said.
Cllr Lin Hazell, responsible for children’s social services, said: “It may be uncomfortable, it will be painful but we have no alternatives.” She will suffer a £6.6m cut.
Cabinet member for transportation, Cllr Valerie Letheren, was asked by the cabinet today to try and find cash for roads maintenance by slashing speed camera money.
Earlier, we reported that she said the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, which manages cameras, could close this year if funding is cut by councils (see link, bottom of story).
She told The Bucks Free Press this would see responsibility for cameras fall to BCC – and she was minded to axe some cameras.
She said: “We will be looking at the option of cutting down the number. We would look to ask the police to do more mobile enforcement.
“It may be an option to keep some of them.”
She said the council is likely to withdraw funding to TVSRP, £600,000, if Oxfordshire County Council vote to pull out on Tuesday.
The cabinet proposed that £1.2m is found from a contingency fund to support the looked after children budget, £800,000 for social services and £885,000 for social services transport.
It also agreed to shake-up how IT, finance and HR departments work and review contracts. It will consider outsourcing in the future.
A statement said: “It is with regret that this phase will mean reducing the number of people delivering these services.”
Property services is also to be outsourced.
Last week, the council announced that it was not going ahead with a much vaunted project to share departments with other councils in Bucks in a bid to save cash.
The ‘Pathfinder’ scheme had struggled to get off the ground as councils withdrew support for sharing some services.
Comments(19)
wayneo
says...
4:37pm Mon 26 Jul 10
Bucks Council only have to look at their copius amounts of non-jobs in order to determine that were over-subscribed in the first place. Cutting in areas of IT, finance and HR, suggests that those positions were over-subcribed in the first place. Poor management is the culprit here, nothing more, nothing less.
demoness
says...
4:53pm Mon 26 Jul 10
towncryer
says...
5:24pm Mon 26 Jul 10
demoness wrote:Send everyone to local schools (secondary and grammar schools)-- stop shipping kids around district at our expense
My worry is Wayneo though that essential services will be cut as part of this and people will suffer.:(
save millions !!!
towncryer
says...
5:26pm Mon 26 Jul 10
Shakespeare is on LGA/BCC/WDC Councils -- he cant do one job well let alone 3!!!!!!!
ArnyP_HW
says...
5:29pm Mon 26 Jul 10
As Wayneo says, a bit of cost cutting through removal of inefficiencies wouldn't go amiss if they want to soften the blow but the axe is gonna fall somewhere and at least we're gonna see it coming this time!
...And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgment of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
And I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again!
sparky49
says...
5:32pm Mon 26 Jul 10
wayneo
says...
6:37pm Mon 26 Jul 10
demoness wrote:Define essential services? Government has made it so we rely on them, relying on Government means more power and control; more cuts devolves more power to people and lets/ensures that they are more responsible for themselves, obviously there are those who are vulnerable and much be protected, the scope of vulnerability however has grown at expodential rates in recent years.
My worry is Wayneo though that essential services will be cut as part of this and people will suffer.:(
The Councils also, have gone from providing 'services' to enforcement, many, under their own application, again, this is the net result of an ever larger Government and empire-building that interferes and hinders our everyday lives rather than helps.
hondo
says...
6:47pm Mon 26 Jul 10
OllieNewbury
says...
8:10pm Mon 26 Jul 10
demoness
says...
8:53pm Mon 26 Jul 10
wayneo wrote:This government and the previous government have stated that people with long term conditions and the elderly should be cared for more in their own homes. They have encouraged early supported discharge for stroke patients. They have tried to maintain people with dementia at home with support for as long as possible.
demoness wrote: My worry is Wayneo though that essential services will be cut as part of this and people will suffer.:(Define essential services? Government has made it so we rely on them, relying on Government means more power and control; more cuts devolves more power to people and lets/ensures that they are more responsible for themselves, obviously there are those who are vulnerable and much be protected, the scope of vulnerability however has grown at expodential rates in recent years. The Councils also, have gone from providing 'services' to enforcement, many, under their own application, again, this is the net result of an ever larger Government and empire-building that interferes and hinders our everyday lives rather than helps.
YOU tell me how we support autonomy in this group of patients.
YOU explain to the elderly incontinent old lady that she is not able to have a bath because there is no one to help her.
YOU tell the carer of a patient with dementia that he/she cannot have the morning off to do some shopping or just have a break because the day centre is closing.
YOU tell the cancer patient who needs help that there is none to be had.
YOU tell the parent of a severely mentally and physically child that they should rely on themselves and not the state.
THESE are the vulnerable.We are an aging population whose children are more mobile and who cannot afford the time or the money to care for their parents. Often we are in the situation when we have elderly children trying to care for parents in their 90's.
It is wrong and people - yes including you and yours Wayneo, will be affected.
The Judge
says...
10:24pm Mon 26 Jul 10
IF MONEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LOST IN ICE-BANK WE WOULD NOT BE FACING CUTS.
FACT:
THE "INVESTMENTS" WERE ILL JUDGED.
FACT:
THOSE RESPONSIBLE HAVE NOT OWNED UP.
FACT:
THOSE RESPONSIBLE SHOULD RESIGN OR FAILING THIS SHOULD BE SACKED.
FACT:
THOSE RESPONSIBLE HAVE SYSTEMATICALLY PLAYED DOWN THESE LOSSES.
FACT:
THE JUDGE HAS NOT FORGOT AND URGES EVERYONE READING THIS TO SIT DOWN AND WRITE TO YOUR MP TO GET THE FACTS AND BRING THOSE RESPONSIBLE TO BOOK FOR THIS SCANDAL.
JUDGE.
Voyeur
says...
2:52am Tue 27 Jul 10
.
I hope the people who were responsible for that investment go through the cuts.
.
But No - those under achievers will be retained and good, honest, hard working staff will be those shed.
A VOTER
says...
9:16am Tue 27 Jul 10
hondo wrote:I think I recognise that figure!
I've a suggestion where £750,000 may be saved.
.
That should be the very first cut, followed by cutting the salaries of the criminals that authorised it.
No to stadium
says...
12:43pm Tue 27 Jul 10
hondo wrote:When so many people are being affected by these cut backs, yet they 'put aside £750,000" for a stadium the majority of the public don't want. If it goes ahead at Wycombe Air Park does anyone realise that over 20 businesses will be affected when their premises will be demolished? Listen up WDC!
I've a suggestion where £750,000 may be saved.
A VOTER
says...
12:49pm Tue 27 Jul 10
No to stadium wrote:Are there "ANY" examples where WDC have listened?
hondo wrote: I've a suggestion where £750,000 may be saved.When so many people are being affected by these cut backs, yet they 'put aside £750,000" for a stadium the majority of the public don't want. If it goes ahead at Wycombe Air Park does anyone realise that over 20 businesses will be affected when their premises will be demolished? Listen up WDC!
A VOTER
says...
12:54pm Tue 27 Jul 10
hondo
says...
8:10pm Thu 29 Jul 10
.
And we castigated the bankers for gambling with "our" money?
hondo
says...
1:06pm Fri 30 Jul 10
~
So much for the example shown by government ministers.
~
AVOTER so right; "elected dictatorship" ...... do what I say.
miccles says...
4:36pm Mon 26 Jul 10