Budget for the future
Faced with ‘difficult but necessary decisions’ County Councillors have agreed the Council’s budget plans for 2010/11.
The budget will see £31 million reinvested to meet increased demand for council services.
During 2010/11 the Council plans to focus its investment in key areas:
- care for older people due to increased demand from an ageing population
- increased demand for services from people with learning and physical disabilities and mental health problems
- protecting children at risk of abuse following more referrals after the Baby Peter case
- secondary schools and school transport.
To help balance this extra investment the Council will make a number of savings including:
- reducing County Council employees’ annual leave entitlement and deleting around 475 posts
- buying goods and services more efficiently to reduce costs
- introducing charges and raising existing charges for services
- withdrawing grants to organisations.
Between 2010-2013 the County Council needs to save £86 million. Of this amount, £53 million will be reinvested to meet increased demand for Council services.
Following feedback from the public consultation on the budget proposals, councillors also agreed the following changes to the 2010/11 budget:
- to continue with the current funding for the Community Transport scheme for a further 12 months while a review is undertaken to assess if any changes to the service can be made
- to reduce the funding for non-school activities at Dukeries Community College and the Sutton Centre College on a phased basis over the next two years by 25% in 2010/11. This will also apply to the funding for community activities for Dukeries Community College
- to retain the £560,000 paid to district and borough councils to encourage them to deliver dry recyclable materials to the Council’s materials recovery facility. This will be reviewed in future years
- to reduce the Welfare Rights Service budget by £150,000 rather than £250,000 during 2010/11so that the service will be maintained during the recession
- to increase the meals on wheels price to £3 from the current £2.35 charge instead of the original proposal of £3.95 in 2010/11
- in light of the wintry weather, the Council has agreed to set aside a further £50,000 for salting the county’s roads.
Find out more
See how you will be affected by the budget for 2010/11:
