Draft budget avoids council tax rise and cuts in frontline services.
Protecting front line services by cutting overheads and avoiding council tax rises for next year form the cornerstones of a draft spending plan approved by Central Bedfordshire Executive councillors this week.
The council intends to spend £180m from April 2012 on its wide range of services including highways maintenance, waste collection and disposal, libraries, children’s services and social care. Councillors also agreed a £78.7m capital programme outlining investments in road maintenance – an area which residents highlighted as important in a recent council survey – as well as school buildings, street lighting and new residential care facilities.
A reduction in government funding due to national austerity measures and increased demands on services – in areas like adult social care and children services – means the council needs to cut spending by £10.5m next year and nearly £40m over the next four years. To achieve the savings without cutting frontline services, the draft budget approved by councillors includes ambitious plans to deliver services differently, with a more commercial focus and maximising the use of technology to improve efficiency.
The draft budget has been informed by a survey carried out by the council in the autumn in which over 2,000 residents outlined what they believed the council’s future spending priorities should be.
Cllr Maurice Jones, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Corporate Resources, said: “We’ve constructed a robust budget that reflects the feedback residents gave to our budget survey. We got strong feedback that we should be looking to reduce back office costs, so we are proposing significant savings and efficiencies by reviewing management structures and administration to protect frontline services.
“It is clear from recent government statements that the country still has a long way to go to reduce the national budget deficit. While we are looking to drive through £10.5m of savings in the coming year, we want to ease the burden on our residents by not increasing council tax and also to invest in our infrastructure to support the local economy.”
Measures to close the spending gap include:
* Reducing the number of buildings the council works from
* Streamlining management and reducing money spent on back office administration
* Seeking ways of running services more cost effectively, including looking at private sector providers and considering setting up an independent Trust to run leisure services
* Renegotiating contracts to get the best deals, for example for highways maintenance, energy, information technology and vehicle leasing.
* Offering care contracts and commissioning services jointly with others to increase the council’s buying power
* Charging utility companies for accessing public highways
* Bringing charges in line with those levied by other councils, for example respite care and making sure we cover rising costs, such as charges for issuing Blue Badges linked to changes in the national scheme.
Extra investment is being proposed for some services to help deliver savings down the line. These include
* Improving services that help people to live independently at home for longer and to reduce the use of residential care
* Investment in leisure centres to increase their profitability
* Investment in more energy efficient street lights when replacements are due.
The council’s spending plans are now open for public consultation. Residents can view the budget proposals online at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/consultations or from their local libraries from next week.
People can take part in the debate on our community discussion website www.letstalkcentral.com, email comments to consultations@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or send written responses to FREEPOST RSJS GBB2 SRZT, Budget Consultation, Central Bedfordshire Council, Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands SG17 5TQ.
The consultation is open until midday on 27 January 2012. Councillors will then use feedback to review the draft budget options, before full council announce the final budget on 23 February 2012.
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