County's budget to see £2.3m to children and families service
CUTS of £2.3 million will have to be made to the children and families services offered by Gloucestershire County Council – the department that runs children's centres, youth services, family support and early years services.
Shire Hall bosses have set out a budget littered with cuts, but full of investment sweeteners.
And as part of it, Gloucestershire County Council has admitted it will have to "redesign or reduce" the services that affect our youngsters.
Gloucestershire County Council is committing to spending money on helping homeowners get on the property ladder, promoting business growth, freezing council tax and investing in adult and children's services.
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In order to do so, as well as the cuts to children and families services, it will save £1.3m through a fire and rescue redesign, with changes being made to how specialised appliances are crewed.
It has also ended a contract with Gloucestershire Constabulary to provide extra officers, which will save the authority £2.1m. As a result of the Government slicing funding in the area of early intervention services and making changes to how education cash is handed out, the council will have to "redesign or reduce" some children and families services, saving £2.3m, the report said.
The authority has upped its budget from the one proposed in December because it will receive £4.1m more money than it expected from its council tax base.
The money will be used to invest in new schemes and improve some services.
An additional £500,000 will go to adult services – the only area of service that the council has been able to protect year on year.
Also, £200,000 will be spent on the Local Authority Mortgage Scheme to help first-time buyers get on the ladder and £250,000 will be set aside for a capital grants scheme for communities.
It means one-off grants will be dished out to community buildings.
Councillor Ray Theodoulou, cabinet member for finance and change, said: "Despite the fact that we are tightening our belts and making savings wherever possible, I'm pleased that we have been able to make this extra investment."
The council's budget for next year is dropping by 3.6 per cent to £409m. It is set to be agreed on February 6.
2 Comments
by lordigaga
Saturday, February 02 2013, 1:30PM
“yep, its the tory way, the poor supporting the rich, always has been and always will be, till the poor get off their backsides and vote.”
by Shireresident
Saturday, February 02 2013, 10:23AM
“I wonder why anyone puts up for election these days. After all what can councillors do in the face of central government cuts? They certainly can't improve services for their electorate. All that can be done is souless cutting at the behest of the coalition. Why then do people volunteer for such a depressing prospect? could it be an ego trip for the elderly. Attend a cabinet meeting, they're open to the public, see if you agree with my diagnosis. Local government is being decimated, soon it will be reduced to American style "commissioning authorities" with privatised services, no autonomy or ability to improve things locally. Just what the Tories always wanted.”