issued December 9, 2010
Richmondshire councillors are asking
local people to tell them what they think of 12 service areas
identified for possible cuts.
The authority needs to find about £1.5m in
savings over the next four years – the bulk of it by 2012.
The final amount will not be known until the Governments funding
announcement following the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Members have already found about £1.15m that
can be clawed back in savings and efficiencies over the two years -
£400,000 of which comes from the shared services adopted with
Hambleton District Council.
And they have drawn up a hit list of 12 areas
that could bring in the remaining £500,000.
“It is these 12 areas that we want the views
of our local residents and business owners on,” said Council
Leader, Councillor Fleur Butler.
“We have put them in an order of priority -
which has involved input from all the political groups on the
council - but we now need to know what our council taxpayers
think.
“It is not the case that there is total
agreement within the council on these proposals but making cuts is
very tough – every service is important to someone or some
group. But we are losing at least 28% in government
support over the next four years so these cuts are vital if we are
to maintain our frontline services.”
She said members had identified the following
possible savings:
·
Subscriptions - £12,000 ( including members of the Sparsity
Partnership for authorities delivering rural services)
- Leisure Trust - £100,000 (by redirecting the annual subsidy to
£269,000)
- Tourism Partnership - £18,000 (by removing funding to the Dales
and Harrogate Tourism Partnership which is being rebranded as
Welcome to Yorkshire, and redirecting the remaining £10,000 to
support tourism via the new brand)
- Tourist Information Centres - £132,000 (by transferring to
different management and reducing them to Tourist Information
Points)
- Fees and Charges - £80,000 (by increasing them by 8% not the
planned 4%)
- Grants to discretionary bodies £4000 (by reviewing grants to
charities and voluntary bodies)
- Grants to outside bodies £43,000 (looking at the core funding
to local organisations)
- Industrial Units – unknown savings (by possible sale of units
in Colburn, Reeth, Richmond and Hawes)
- Play Areas - £43,000 (by transferring maintenance to parishes
or community groups)
- Car Parking Charges – unknown income (by charging where
currently it is free)
- Parks and Open Spaces - £28,000 (by reviewing the maintenance
programme)
- Public toilets - £100,000 (by reducing costs of toilets and
transferring some to other organisations)
“Without shared services with Hambleton
District Council and our own efficiencies these cuts would be a lot
harder and greater,” she added. “We hope people will
take part in our survey – it is important we know what they think
before we make our final decisions.”
Local people are being asked to have their say
by completing an on line survey - on http://www.richmondshire.gov.uk/surveys/savings
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