Cuts, Cuts and More Cuts Ahead | |||||
A 'heartbreaking' raft of measures in bid to balance the books
Ealing's Leader says the council is having to make 'heart-breaking' budget decisions which will have an impact on everyone in the borough. Jobs will be lost, services reduced or even stopped and more day centres are likely to close as the council tries to cope with a spending budget which it says has been halved over the last ten years. The latest proposals which will go before Cabinet next week will cut £56 million, contributing to the total £96 million which needs to be saved by April 2019. Councillor Julian Bell said '' Without the money needed to make ends meet we have been left with no choice but to think the unthinkable and to make these heart-breaking decisions. What is worse we know that there is more to come, we are just over half way to identifying proposals for the massive shortfall in our finances and we still need to find in excess of £40million of savings. “Although I did not come into local government to make central government cuts, I cannot shirk the responsibility given to me and my councillors by the electorate. We have no choice but to set a balanced budget or the government could take control of the council and impose its own cuts. We have to prioritise and concentrate our funding on fewer things which we believe will have the greatest impact on improving the lives of local people.'' Councillors have promised that despite the ongoing cuts they will freeze council tax again next year however it's likely to be the last such freeze. The immediate proposals being considered by the council’s cabinet include: • Consulting users of Elm Lodge and Sycamore Lodge about relocating day services to the Michael Flanders Centre
The Cabinet meeting to discuss these proposals will be held on 25th November 2014
19th November 2014 |