Difficult Decisions - Have Your Say On the Savings Proposals

As I wrote on here last week, the Council has now published a set of proposals for achieving the £10 million-plus of savings required to make next year's budget balance. With the consultation on these proposals set to be launched next week, I really do hope that people take the opportunity to have their say on what has been put forward. I wrote about the consultation, and the plans, in last week's Times and Citizen newspaper, and feel it's worth reproducing that here for anyone who missed it:

There's no escaping the fact that difficult decisions lie ahead. All councils are facing major cuts in Government funding, and vast savings will in turn be required. There is no option over whether or not to make these savings, which in Bedford Borough's case amount to over £10 million. Despite the fact that measures will not take effect until April 2011, we have published our proposals to achieve the savings already. We are amongst the first Councils in the country to do this, and we have done so to enable a full and open consultation with local residents on the proposals.

The proposals prioritise the protection of front line services, with the majority of the savings found by creating new ways of working. To take one example, updating bin collection routes will save over £260,000 with no impact on the level of service. Some of the proposals would affect the way services are provided, of course, and we will not hide from that. That is why it is essential that we have an open and honest consultation which ensures that ultimately the right decisions are made for the residents of the Borough.

Of course, some councils will seek to use large Council tax rises to help cover the funding gap, but with households feeling the effects of the current economic climate I have made clear this will not happen here. Far from it, in fact, as we are working to achieve a council tax freeze to help hard-pressed households. By making the savings required, we will also be able to continue to invest in residents' priorities. This week, I have announced that we will allocate an additional £1 million for local road and pavement repairs and resurfacing in the current year while we will not, for example, follow neighbouring councils in moving to fortnightly waste collections.

Details of the consultation will be available very shortly at www.bedford.gov.uk/budget2011, in Borough News and of course to telephone and personal callers to the Council. The financial situation presents a major challenge, and I hope that you will take the opportunity to have your say as we seek to protect the interests of local residents in these difficult times.