Council urges members of the public to have their say on where savings should be made

Last updated: 05/10/2010 Add to My Bookmarks

With Cornwall facing the prospect of the largest public service funding cuts since the Great Depression of the 1930’s, Cornwall Council is urging members of the public to ensure they have their say on where savings should be made.

The anticipated 30% reduction in government funding means that the Council needs to make £110 million of savings over the next four years.  Council Leader Alec Robertson announced earlier in the summer that the Council would be drawing up its own emergency budget.  This draft budget is set to be considered at a special meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, 27 October.

Over the past few weeks senior Members and officers have been working to identify where these savings can be made.  The Council has already made substantial cuts to its senior management structure, with the number of Chief Executives and Directors reduced from more than 40 in March 2009 when the new unitary authority came into being, to the current level of 6 – resulting in ongoing savings of more than £2 million a year. 

More than £40 million of ongoing savings have already been identified, including better use of procurement and IT, and introducing more efficient ways of working such as bringing together waste, environment and highways teams.  Plans to reduce the number of buildings owned by the Council are also expected to generate savings of more than £20 million.

The Council now wants members of the public to come forward with their ideas and views on which service cuts should be made to achieve the necessary savings.

“We have been looking carefully at how we can do things more efficiently but want to hear the views of local people on how we can make cuts and reduce our costs to deliver better value and to safeguard the most essential services. “

“We need people to let us know their views on what is important to them and where they think we can make savings.  We are also keen to hear about where communities can help us deliver better value services. “

An online survey has been set up on the Hard choices page of the Council’s website -  where people can put forward their own suggestions using the on line form.

The Council is also staging a series of four roadshows for members of the public.   The roadshows, which be chaired by key councillors from the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny committees, are being held in Penzance, Saltash, St Austell and Bude during the week beginning 10 October .

The details of the roadshows, all of which are taking place between 6pm and 7pm, are :

• Monday, 11 October, St Johns Hall, Penzance
• Tuesday, 12 October, Saltash Guidhall, Council Chamber
• Wednesday, 13 October, St Austell One Stop Shop, Council Chamber
• Friday, 15 October , Bude Parkhouse Centre, Room 1 

The feedback from the four roadshows and the responses submitted by members of the public via the website will then be reported to the meeting of the Cabinet on 27 October .   The Cabinet meeting will be webcast so that residents can watch the proceedings and listen to the debate.

The recommendations from the Cabinet meeting will then be formally scrutinised at meetings of the Council’s five Overview and Scrutiny Committees during the week beginning Monday, 1 November before the final decision is made at the meeting of the full Council on Tuesday, 30 November.  

Story posted 5 October 2010