Shropshire Council pledge after massive cuts announced
Thursday 10th February 2011, 8:00PM GMT.
Shirehall chiefs today said they will continue to plough millions of pounds into projects in the county – despite unveiling a massive list of schemes which could be axed.
Officials say Shropshire Council’s capital spending will amount to almost £95 million in the 2010/11 financial year, and just over £171 million from 2011/12 to 2014/15.
Council leader Keith Barrow said that the spending was a clear indication of the council’s commitment to investing in the local economy, despite severe reductions in Government funding.
He said: “The capital schemes being undertaken by the council represent a real investment in Shropshire. Although we are having to remove some projects from the strategy due to cuts in Government funding, I think the fact we are investing £171.4 million over the next four years is fantastic news for residents and businesses.
“One of the reasons we are removing some schemes is because a large proportion of them were going to be funded by prudential borrowing. The interest on that borrowing would ultimately be paid by council taxpayers, and I think it would be irresponsible of us to spend over and above our means during these tough economic times.”
The schemes proposed to take place over the coming years include the Shrewsbury Music Hall refurbishment (£7 million in 2011/12); Market Drayton inner relief road (£1.5 million in 2011/12); £900,000 available for community projects through the Rural Enterprise Fund; and £2 million investment to improve broadband provision.
Bosses say reductions in spending have been achieved by removing some planned projects, but also by replacing capital funding by other means such as applying for grants.
Councillor Barrow said: “We need to be clear that the council is going to be a very different organisation in the coming years, and we will no longer be delivering all local services ourselves.
“I can assure residents and businesses that we are still very much committed to investing in big local projects, as this capital strategy report demonstrates.”
By Russell Roberts
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And it bears repeating some of the *other* areas that the council will be spending your money (while savagely cutting back lots of public services so they can “save” £76 million over the next few years).
Namely, a number of large-salary senior officer posts, currently being advertised on the council website:
http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/vacancies.nsf/open/120D1084F459B40F802578250054B672
Salaries from £85,000 to £110,000!
But its ok. According to the website, applicants can be reassured:
“These four roles will be at the core of an era-defining change – one that will
see us become leaner, more integrated, more accountable and more creative
in our thinking”.
Yes, that’s obvious. Far better to cut £2.4 million from Disabled Facilities Grants, or £850,000 from Disabilities Discrimination Act work, isn’t it? The Disabled can’t hit back, after all. And although libraries and leisure services aren’t mentioned, I wonder where they’ll end up ultimately?
This is distortion and news management from the council on a massive scale. But as Councillor Barrow claims, an ‘investment’ of £174 million (of OUR money) is “fantastic news”!!!
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What!. Disabled Facilities Grants to go?. But they’re mandatory. The local authority must award the grant if the applicant fullfills the qualifying criteria. DFG’s save the health and social services much more than the initial investment. Keeping disabled people in their own homes and providing the means to do so safely for as long as possible has too many benefits to warrant axing the funding. Where is the sense in that?.
As for the housing repair grants I thought bringing Shropshire’s housing stock up to decent homes standard was a top priority?. Its the rural communities that will suffer the most.
Brian
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Ah, but you’re forgetting The Big Society, Brian!
The council will say that they hope many of these responsibilities can be passed on to the ‘community’ and that the council will ‘help’ with funding. But the reality is that they are cutting funding to all these groups and charities anyway so whoever is brave enough to take any of the responsibilities on will be left with little or no backup.
I would assume that they’ll find a way to sell off the housing stock in the fullness of time, after another (no doubt sham) ‘consultation’ exercise.
This is the leaner and more accountable council. Cutting services for the disabled and needy while employing more big salary officers to oversee the cuts.
I’m no great fan of the Government, but most right minded people, I’m sure, can see that spending does needs to be curbed somewhat when the incoming money doesn’t match. But it really *is* the vulnerable who are being harmed, and many authorities are just conducting creative accounting exercises to disguise it. ‘We’re all in this together!’, so the council and it’s councillors say.
But some of us are more ‘in it’ than others it would seem, by these latest manager posts, eh?
Worst of all is that the council dress up massive cuts as “fantastic news!”. Perhaps Councillor Barrow would like to write his own press releases and statements, instead of getting the PR staff to do it for him. I’m betting they’d be a good deal less polished, but perhaps more honest for it.
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This smacks of “To those who have, more shall be given” – the cost of subsidising cultural events for the upper echelons carry on regardless (£500,000 per year to run Theatre Severn, £7M to refurbish the Music Hall) but if you want your kids to go to a school that nurtures and helps them to fulfill their potential regardless of educational ability (Wakeman), or you need help because you have a disability and need your house adapted, you can go whistle. What next???
Join the anti-cuts rally on 19th Feb – things have got to change.
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Good on ya Twiggy – PS the rally & march starts 11am at Shrewsbury Shirehall then to the Square for music & speakers. Should be a great day! http://www.shropshirefightsback.org.uk
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sorry Twiggo!!!!
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Funding for mandatory disabled facilities grants to enable people to stay in their homes must not be cut to fund showpiece non essential schemes such as the grandiose plans for the music hall in Shrewsbury and such similar non essential schemes.
Additionally recruitment must be frozen,to recruit new people whilst implementing redundancies and cuts in front line services is a non starter,especially at the advertised salaries.
Councillor Barrow and the other politicians must start curbing the Chief Executives mad cap economics and use the word NO far more often.
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