Budget proposals ahead of next week’s Isle of Wight council Executive meeting could bring a sigh of relief to many vulnerable people.
The council will be setting the 2016/17 budget later this month and due to a reduction in funding from the Government, will have to make £16.753 million of budget cuts (or savings as they are referred to) to Isle of Wight services in the coming year.
Services saved from closure
When the situation was outlined at the beginning of the year, the IWC presented a list of all ‘possible’ areas where savings could be made. It was a pretty scary prospect, with all discretionary services looking as though they could be under threat.
However, many of the savings needed have already been agreed in 2015 (details in Paper B Appendix C), leaving the council with a budget gap of around £3.3m.
The papers for next week’s Executive meeting reveals that many areas that were under threat, will not now face the axe – assuming the budget is agreed by the full council on 24th February.
Cuts the council hope to avoid
Areas where savings will not be made (ie. they won’t be cut) include:
- Support for Cross Solent Travel for patients
- The sensory impairment contract
- Review of most complex care packages
- Closure of Adelaide Resource Centre
- Closure of Gouldings Resource Centre
- Closure of Mental Health Day Services
- Housing Supporting People
- Closure of Branstone Farm
- Cease grant funding for youth offer contract
- Cease the targeted youth service team
- Reduction in Member Allowances
- Reduce the scope of the empty property and housing enabling work
- Cease all work in respect of empty properties
- Extend Chargeable Hours until 2000hrs 20,000 50,000 Includes all car parks and on street areas
- Additional on street pay and display
- Remove free parking for Blue Badge Holders
- Cease all planning enforcement
- Reduction in economic development activity, support and staffing
Service under threat
Of course, other savings will have to be made in order to meet a balanced budget. Not surprisingly it includes a reduction in staff in certain areas.
Other potential cuts include:
- Transfer the freehold of all public conveniences to town and parish councils – or close and dispose
- Revision of opening hours to meet actual need.
- End support for learning disability Wednesday Club
- Review of most complex care packages
- Implementation of Shared Lives project
- Wightcare – service efficiencies
- Operations staff review
- Short term services and learning disability review
- Reeve Court – contract adjustments
- Team Around the Person – end provider contract
- Reduce Grant for carer’s training
- Revenues team – Reduction in staffing levels
- Fleet Management – Reduction in staffing levels
- Revenues & Benefits – Reduction in support staff
- Create a single commissioning team in early help
- Realignment & reduction of community safety activity
- Democratic Staff Savings Cancel Membership of the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire
- IW Festival – cease Halberry Lane traffic management scheme
- Income from HFRS Strategic Partnership
- Reduction to the Road Safety and Community
- Reduction in back office support staff and activity
- Restructure of HR support and advice as a whole
- ICT Contract renegotiations and general Budget Reductions
- Surrender lease on Sea Street Car Park
- Reduction in planning policy activity following the adoption of the AAPs and the West Wight
- Coastal Strategy
- Property Rationalisation
- Waste Contract savings
- Contract specification changes to Highways
- Reduce grants for short breaks
- School Improvement
Welcomed by Labour
Lead Labour member, Cllr Geoff Lumley said,
“For the last six months I have fully and constructively engaged with the Independent administration in an all-party Budget & Policy Liaison Group. Right up until yesterday we were discussing proposals for cuts that I considered unacceptable. The administration have known what we thought they should protect since our publication last week.
“We are delighted that they have now listened to us on most of the issues we raised. We are also very pleased that they have increased the Hardship Fund for revised Council Tax Support Scheme losers by £166k, further cushioning the effects above the original fund of £212k. Clearly Labour continues to be a positive influence on this Council leadership.
“Provided these proposals arrive at Full Council on 24 February more or less intact, then we will support them. Of course there are still cuts to the value of nearly £3m that are very unwelcome, but the Government has left the Council with no choice but to balance the books as part of its dogmatic savaging of local, public services.
“Those savings represent the least worst options, though that will be no consolation to those who will lose their jobs and their services.”
Appendix D – what will and won’t be cut
The budget paper (with links to appendices at the end)
Image: armydre2008 under CC BY 2.0
