County needs to slash £20million (From Basingstoke Gazette)

County needs to slash £20million

11:10am Saturday 11th February 2012 in News By Simon Moss

Cllr Ken Thornber

MORE than £20million will need to be shed from Hampshire County Council’s running costs in the next financial year, it has been confirmed.

Cabinet chiefs have agreed the local authority’s budget for the next financial year, which outlines plans to save £21.7m while proposing a third consecutive year of council tax freeze.

The budget will be debated at full council later this month, where it is expected to be pushed through by the Conservative majority.

Council leader Councillor Ken Thornber said: “Our budget proposals are about providing improved, modernised and transformed services, or changing the way we provide public services, and providing greater choice where possible.

“The process has not been painless and we have seen staff reductions and changes to services that have affected residents.”

Despite a leaner budget brought about by a heavy cut in Government funding, Cllr Thornber said more than £25million will be put into capital schemes, including improved pedestrian access around Basingstoke’s Alencon Link.

Council tax will again be frozen, meaning the average Band D property will pay £1,037.88.

The county council is half way through an ambitious programme to save £100m, but bosses are braced for further misery with a second Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) from the Government expected.

Cllr Thornber said: “We must not be complacent. All of the savings made in the early years of the transformation programme are needed for the further grant reductions to come. We have already been warned about difficult times ahead when the next CSR is announced from 2015-16 onwards.”

The budget will be agreed at a full council meeting on February 23.