Cuts in services loom again (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Cuts in services loom again
9:00am Saturday 7th January 2012 in Local By Rachel Masker
THE YOUNG, old and disabled face further cuts in services as county bosses aim to save £45million next year.
Hampshire County Council faces a shortfall in Government funding of £19.1m in 2012-13.
The ruling Cabinet has approved cutting the budgets of all departments by eight per cent for the second year running, including social services for vulnerable adults and children.
This is equal to savings targets of £21m in adult social services and £10m in children’s services, excluding schools, which are funded directly by the Government.
Other cuts include £6m in environmental services, including road repairs and waste disposal, and £4.7m in libraries, museums and country parks.
More details on where the axe will fall, and how many jobs will go, will be revealed this month.
Greater savings of 12 per cent are being sought from corporate services, including human resources, IT and the county treasurer’s department. As previously reported, the county is considering sharing services with the police and fire services.
However, council tax will be frozen again next year with the help of a £13.2m Government grant.
The £45m savings target comes on top of a £55m budget cut and 1,400 jobs shed last year, including a quarter of management posts.
Councillor Keith House, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group, asked if it was right to cut all departmental budgets by eight per cent instead of weighing-up council priorities.
He said: “We would argue some of the children’s services have higher value for the community than others.”
But Conservative council leader Cllr Ken Thornber said that savings should be equally distributed across the council.
The council boss said the authority would look at further cuts in management and reducing overheads.
Bus services have already been cut and timetables reduced. Connexions offices providing advice to young people are closing along with nearly all day centres for adults with learning difficulties.
The £55m savings drive had meant some elderly and disabled individuals have had their support reduced, while fees have risen.
New charges have been introduced for day centres for the elderly. Library opening hours have also been cut.
The council is aiming to make the savings it needs to in two years instead of four as a result of the Government squeeze on spending.
Comments(22)
The _right_stuff
says...
1:16pm Sat 7 Jan 12
Oh well. You can forget selling Manydown then !
popleyrebel2
says...
8:56pm Sat 7 Jan 12
It would also be interesting to know if the £20/40 million spent on their offices in Winchester has paid dividends, and when it comes
to consultants and our Council it’s the blind leading the blind.
The _right_stuff
says...
10:49pm Sat 7 Jan 12
Try a FOI (Freedom Of Imformation) request to both councils. It's easy to do.
popleyrebel2
says...
11:45pm Sat 7 Jan 12
Thank you for that sound advice, however, it would be better if our council adopted the policy of the Government for more transparency. after all, “we are all in this together”
but there again, the Tory pigs are flying all over place.
The _right_stuff
says...
11:06am Sun 8 Jan 12
I absolutely agree, there is little or no transparency in council.
As for Hampshire county council.
No one knew that there was an executive member for strategic development post in HCC for example
as it wasn't advertised.
'The new Cabinet role, which started on January 1, had not been publicly announced by the council press office or debated by backbenchers'. From the Hampshire Chronicle.
popleyrebel2
says...
4:21pm Sun 8 Jan 12
Local politics play an important part in our daily lives and therefore, trust, integrity and above all representing their constituency and not the party line is paramount.
Therefore, there needs to be a complete change in the approach of local Councils and this can only be achieved if more independent Cllrs are elected, that said, we had an independent Cllrs in Popley and he jumped ship over to the lib-dems. However, there are some brilliant independent Cllrs in local Councils so don’t be put off by rogue Cllr.
It’s time for a change
jondave
says...
12:16pm Mon 9 Jan 12
P Heath
says...
2:10pm Mon 9 Jan 12
popleyrebel2
says...
5:27pm Mon 9 Jan 12
Business find loop-holes to cheat the system, the rich find loop-holes to cheat tax system, even MPs found ways to cheat the system, therefore, whatever system you have in place people will find loop-holes.
The rich have the services of clever accountants, businesses have the accountant and clever lawyers and trust me, you can’t trust MPs to sort it out with their track record.
popleyrebel2
says...
6:57pm Mon 9 Jan 12
What is social housing, and where are they??? If you referring to housing association (Sentinel) not all tenants are on benefits. Many are long term tenants, I know tenants who have lived in the same house since 1972 and yes they have 2 cars, sky and grandchildren’s toys in the garden.
Therefore, don’t tar all with the same brush.
We have over 5,000 on the housing list waiting for affordable housing; their only hope is for housing association to build more rented and not commit financial suicide with over priced properties and deadly mortgagees.
That said, there are some that milk the system.
Jo Walke
says...
8:54pm Mon 9 Jan 12
No, not all social housing tenants are unemployed & on 'welfare' jondave! & equally someone with a mortgage could be claiming 70% of their childcare costs.
Not all the 5000 on the waiting list - if that is the actual current figure - are in actual 'housing need'. With current changes to LHA and forthcoming changes to housing benefit (which will effect social housing tenants) coupled with plans to charge 80% of market rents as rental to so called 'affordable housing' one wonders how affordable or social future provision will actually be!
jondave
says...
12:51pm Tue 10 Jan 12
popleyrebel2
says...
10:31pm Tue 10 Jan 12
jondave
says...
8:37am Wed 11 Jan 12
robertspet8
says...
9:30am Wed 11 Jan 12
popleyrebel2 wrote:There is obviously confusion in some people's minds about what constitutes social housing.
In your opinion jonave any property that is rented whether part shared carries the tag of social housing and therefore, that would come as shock to MPs who rent houses/property as their 2nd homes.
Shelter's definition is, 'Social housing is housing that is let at low rents and on a secure basis to people in housing need. It is generally provided by councils and not-for-profit organisations such as housing associations.'
So this clearly eliminates private rentals at market prices. Therefore anybody in social housing, regardless of whether they receive benefits, is better off than if they were renting in the private sector. If they wish to spend these savings on TVs and cars that is up to them, but it this which upsets people who cannot even get on the housing list and are living in poverty because they have to pay market rental prices.
popleyrebel2
says...
10:21am Wed 11 Jan 12
On my estate along the turnover of rented property is quite substantial.
The _right_stuff
says...
7:09pm Wed 11 Jan 12
popleyrebel2
says...
1:01pm Thu 12 Jan 12
Can you be specific on the webcast, not got a clue on what to look for.
Many thanks
The _right_stuff
says...
3:26pm Thu 12 Jan 12
I'm paraphrasing but at one point, one of the councilors said that previously, 'the developers', with a good lawyer had managed to reduce the amount of social housing in a developement.
There was a lot more about about 'mix' of housing, but there doesn't seem to be a stradegy.
Also, have a look at the first part. Seems that there will be a judical review (read the SOLVE webpages too if you get a chance).
popleyrebel2
says...
3:38pm Thu 12 Jan 12
Looks like the developers and their lawyers are not very sociable on housing needs
The _right_stuff
says...
4:44pm Thu 12 Jan 12
The second part is tonight at 18.30./
I also found that the chairman was really sarcastic and downright rude in places to the other councillors and the public. Nice to see Clr Reid not chairing though ;)
I guess the conservative majority are trying to get the LDF through without Manydown in it before the judical review.
The _right_stuff says...
1:06pm Sat 7 Jan 12
How about selling Manydown for development.
Figures from £500 million to over £1 billion have been bandied about.
Or are we still going to cut services to the elderly, childrense services, waste, roads, libraries, the disabled, environmental services, museams, country parks and the list goes on.
Oh no, i forgot, the council are worried about building on it !?!
Any chance of the council tax going up too.
It just doesn't make sense to me.
An assesst of this borough that you and I paid for and we are told it's not available.