Plans to increase charges for home care services and further reduce the opening hours at Lynnbottom Tip have been taken off the table by Isle of Wight Council bosses.
The council’s original budget proposals, published in November, included a three per cent rise in costs for Wightcare services and plans to close Lynnbottom Tip an hour earlier each day during the winter months.
Removed from the budget
However, both proposals — which could have saved the council more than £30,000 a year — have been removed from a revised budget paper, discussed by cabinet members earlier this evening (Thursday).
Instead, the cash will be saved by reconfiguring the authority’s revenue budget.
Other avenues for savings
The council plans to save £4.3 million by recovering housing benefit overpayments, securing VAT refunds, and making savings on loan interest payments. It also hopes to generate additional income from its leisure centres.
Hutchinson: Small savings would generate more problems
Cabinet member for finance, Cllr Stuart Hutchinson, said:
“We have scrapped any small savings that we think will generate more problems that they will save.”
Abraham: Increases ‘unpalatable’
At the November cabinet meeting, adult social care member, Cllr Clare Mosdell, had asked her colleagues to reconsider the Wightcare increase and said cutting the service would cost the authority more in the long run.
Speaking tonight, Cllr Barry Abraham said increasing Wightcare service charges was ‘unpalatable.’
Mosdell: “Really glad it’s been cut”
Cllr Mosdell said:
“It’s really important and I am really glad it’s been cut out of the proposals because it does against our ‘care close to home’ policy.”
Plans to close Lynnbottom Tip an hour earlier, which the council said would have ‘minimal impact,’ could have saved £15,000.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may be been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: simonhaytack under CC BY 2.0
