Worst-case scenario at County Hall (West Worcestershire Liberal Democrats)

West Worcestershire Liberal Democrats <contact.us@westworcslibdems.org.uk>

Worst-case scenario at County Hall

December 17, 2010 11:00 AM

THE worst-case scenario has befallen Worcestershire County Council, meaning hundreds more jobs are likely to be lost at County Hall as chiefs seek to cut a whopping £40 million from next year's budget.

LEADER: Adrian Hardman CUTS: Worcestershire council leader Adrian Hardman

The Connexions careers service and other activities for young people are at further risk of reductions and redundancies because the Government has put a stop to about £20 million of specific grants, many of which are thought to have an impact on children's services.

About 200 jobs were already set to be lost between now and the beginning of April but chief executive Trish Haines said it was inevitable that figure will go up because of the cuts in specific grants, and frontline services would be affected.

Councillor Simon Geraghty, the council's deputy leader, said: "If the Government has decided they are no longer a priority it is unlikely to be a priority to the county council otherwise we will be simply adding to the total savings we need to find."

When asked if this was the worst case scenario, Mrs Haines said: "Absolutely. This is the top end."

While it is not yet known exactly what the huge grant cuts will affect - that will become clear in the new year - chiefs said they will almost certainly have to put an immediate stop to those activities affected as County Hall is already looking at needing to find about £6.5 million extra savings next year on top of the £13.5 million it had identified.

Chiefs hope to bridge that gap by bringing some savings projects forward, squeezing more out them, and also using some of the council's £17.5 million available reserves but chiefs said those funds will not be used to prop services up.

As a result of all these cuts the cost of some services could soar, some could be privatised or run by the voluntary and community sector, while others may stop altogether.

Council leader Councillor Adrian Hardman said: "Our aim is to continue providing services to all those who need them but the way services are delivered could change."

Despite the fact that the Government has decided to frontload the savings, those in charge of the purse strings at County Hall are hopeful their estimate of needing to reduce the £364 million revenue budget by £60 million to £70 million by the year 2015 is still about right.

We previously reported in your Worcester News how that translated into about 1,000 job losses but that figure will now be eclipsed due to the Government cuts.

Roadshows recently held around the county have found residents see libraries and the county's heritage as two areas which should not be a priority for funding and that way of thinking is shaping council chiefs' thinking.

Mrs Haines said the Localism Bill, which allows communities to take on services, will be key in reshaping services in Worcestershire but added that is only likely to bring savings in the longer-term.

David Paine: http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2010/12/17/Latest+%28wn_news_latest%29/8744572.Worst_case_scenario_at_County_Hall/