Many have been keen to hear how the Independent administration, previously damning of Conservative-led cuts to council services, would deal with the £28m budget gap facing them over the next three years.
The stark truth is laid out in papers released for next week’s Cabinet meeting (Thursday 9th Jan).
Focus on delivering statutory duties
Since coming into power in May 2013, the Independents have continually stated they would ‘re-engineer’ vital services rather than cut them. The proposals reveal the council’s ambition for third parties to take on the funding responsibility in order to sustain services such as school crossing patrols and Medina Theatre, leading to a ‘significant reduction’ in council staff.
It’s clear that, as with the former Conservative-led council, this council has put the focus on delivering statutory duties only.
Where funding cuts will be made
Highlights from the proposals, which will go to Cabinet for approval and then onto Full Council in February, include:
- ‘Significant reduction’ to staff working across many departments
- Personal budget funding (for vulnerable residents with disabilities) slashed by £1,250,000 over three years
- Increase charges for Cowes Floating Bridge
- No further funding for school crossing patrols
- Cut funding to leisure centres
- Cut funding to Walking Festival and Cycling Festival from 2015/16
- Increase rent on beach huts
- Increase council tax by 2%
- Possibly merging Isle of Wight Fire and rescue with another authority
- Charge for children’s swimming in school holidays
- Increase car parking fees (more detailed report to follow)
- Medina Theatre to lose council funding
- Cuts to economic development – such as helping the young unemployed
- Cuts to relief library employees
- A reduction in senior and middle management across Recreation, Parks and Leisure as well as Economy and Assets
- Cuts to the number of residents going into residential care
- Charging for respite care
- Cuts to funding for Adult and Community learning
- Cut funding to Dinosaur Isle
- Disinvest in Arts Service
Redundancy consultation
Members of the Cabinet are also asked to agree that the council start the HR consultation period for staff and unions. As outlined in the papers below, the council expect to impose a ‘significant reduction’ in staff across all council services.
Cabinet paper for budget plans
