Despite failing to achieve more than £1 million worth of proposed cuts, the Isle of Wight Council will still come in on budget, council bosses have said.
Yesterday (Tuesday), scrutiny councillors questioned cabinet members about savings ear-marked in the 2017-18 budget that were not achieved.
Proposals that failed to save as much as predicted included remodelling residential disability homes, axing cross-Solent travel for cancer patients and savings from the highways PFI contract.
Additional income from Dinosaur Isle, predicted to net the council £20,000, also failed to materialise.
However, Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Resources, Cllr Stuart Hutchinson, said savings of £1.5 million in other areas meant the council would still come in on budget for this year.
Cllr Hutchinson: £6.5 million of ‘savings’ on track
Cllr Hutchinson said,
“Some of the savings have not yet been achieved — that’s not unusual. We often find we pick up towards the end of the year.
“It’s also true to say it gets more difficult year on year, so that projected savings are hard to achieve.
“I am very pleased that at this stage of the financial year, £6.5 million is on track, and that £1 million is off track for whatever reason.
“This is not a great deal different to what has happened in every year. Savings are proposed, some can’t be saved, some do better than expected.”
Image: © With kind permission of Allan Marsh
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some additions by OnTheWight. Ed
