A WAVE of cuts, economies and fee rises as well as a possible trust to run leisure services are to be recommended to Redditch councillors as the borough council looks to save £2.8million over the next four years.
The proposals were agreed at an executive committee meeting of the council on Tuesday night (February 7).
Headline proposals include inviting a leisure trust to run services like the Palace Theatre, Abbey Stadium, community centres, Forge Mill Museum and Pitcheroak Golf Course which could not only save the council £400,000 but also provide an income for the authority.
In addition, the executive estimates that surrendering its interests in Arrow Valley and Kingsley sports centres could bring in a further £169,000 in savings.
Cuts include introducing a charge for shopmobility, a free service which currently costs the council £69,000. This would involve a £10 registration fee with a £2 user charge for Redditch residents and £3 for those from outside the borough. The increases would reduce the level of subsidy by around £40,000 in the next financial year.
An amendment by Councillor Juliet Brunner (Con, Matchborough), leader of the Conservative group, to exempt those Redditch residents in receipt of pension credit was defeated.
A further option is to review the pre-9.30am concessionary bus travel for pensioners and disabled – a Labour election pledge – which could net a further £85,000 in savings.
However, members decided to keep free swimming for seniors and funding for community events including the Bonfire, Morton Stanley Festival and street theatre. External funding for the Christmas lights will be sought over the next three years.
All the savings would come in addition to more than £1million in efficiency savings and fee increases already identified by the council.
The recommendations have been brought on by swingeing cuts in local authority grants by the Conservative Governments which in four years will see Redditch actually pay hundreds of thousands of pounds into Government coffers.
Coun Brunner said: “The pre-9.30am bus concession was a manifesto promise by Labour to the electorate. This shows they are a party you cannot trust because they break their promises.”
Council Leader Bill Hartnett (Lab, Church Hill) said: “I did not come into politics 30 years to reduce services and it is with a heavy heart that we are doing this. Like all local councils we have been hit very hard by cuts to the New Homes Bonus Scheme which sees us losing £154,000 for 2017/18 and a total of £784,000 over the next four years. This coupled with cuts to other Government funding, means we have had to make some tough recommendations to council.
“I have written to the MP to highlight our concerns and that we feel we have been very unfairly treated but in the meantime we have to make the books balance.”
The proposals now go forward to full council on Monday, February 20 at 7pm.
