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 Hot TOPICS
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Savage cuts to spending are being drawn up (December 21, 2009)
SAVAGE cuts to many important local services could be in the offing
from 2011 - the news has emerged after VisionforWarminster was given access to some sensitive
documents.
These show that some senior local government number crunchers are working on
the assumption that central government grant is expected to be cut by
five per cent year on year for three years from 2011 - whichever party
wins the next general election.
The onslaught on local government has been considered a probability as
part of the national government's quest to reduce the huge budget
deficit currently being run by the Labour government.
On top of this we understand that there is huge concern about
additional commitments being given in the field of personal care for
the elderly which will only be part-funded by central government.
The rest of the money will need to come from 'efficiency savings'.
On top of this there has been a significant reduction in income from
planning application fees, less income from investments and in
Wiltshire's case the fiasco of lending 12million pounds to Icelandic
banks.
''When, in 1975, Tony Crossland MP told councils that the 'party's over
for local government' he was only joking,'' said VFW's Steve Dancey.
''Since then, and especially since the Blair government was elected, a
whole plethora of non-jobs has sprung up in local authorities and these
could be lost without much pain. See photo
''But cutting the candy-floss will not balance the books and I suspect
we will see cuts to OAPs' free transport, significant increases in car
parking charges, closure of many of our sports centres and swimming
pools, charging for library internet services and for larger refuse
bins and a zero percentage wage settlement for local government staff
after some bitter strikes.
''It isn't going to be pleasant but we should not lose sight of the
fact that council tax will not be allowed to rise by more than about
one per cent.
''I'm rather glad that I wasn't elected last June.'' Click here to return to the HOT TOPICS page
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