27 January 2012
Budget 2012/13 update

With the Overview & Scrutiny Board finishing its work on the draft budget proposals on Wednesday evening, here is the promised update on the main findings and recommendations that we will be passing to the mayor for consideration over the next week. Scrutiny this year took the form of a series of six meetings lasting a marathon 22 hours (by my calculation).

Throughout the budget setting process, I am sticking firmly to the line that cuts must, so far as possible, be restricted to services accessed as a matter of choice and income be maximised from services that we charge for. In this way, we can protect the services on which residents have to rely. For example, this means that I support the unpopular increases in parking meters/charges. Somehow, we have to find around £11 million in savings.

Here are some of the services I am fighting to keep:
 
Youth Services: The new focus on the new centre at Parkfield in Paignton is, in my view, right: but only if all young people have freedom of access. When Parkfield was first announced, I argued that it could never be a 'world class' youth centre if there was not access for all our young people. I therefore argued for free bus services from all parts of the Bay to Parkfield.
 
If Parkfield is not to become a playground for middle-class children and young people from Paignton, something has to be done. I have asked for an analysis of where the current users (some 400 regular visitors) are from. I fear the worst.
 
I have asked that a close eye is kept on the new proposals for local bids for youth services, as middle-class people are better at accessing funds and services than the less well-off (the chairpeople of other community partnerships will see to it that, for example, Wellswood and Preston do very well indeed, I am sure!). I have asked that council staff keep a close eye on where the money for youth services ends up, and ensure equality between wards. Please be assured that I will not let this drop.
 
The Overview and Scrutiny Board has also questioned why Parkfield should be seen as a source of income for the council as this is not what was intended.
 
Early Years: There is currently a proposal to cut £100k from this budget and put at risk our youngest children. I have said that this is totally unacceptable. I have had support form Overview & Scrutiny colleagues, and I am confident that this threat to life chances should be removed.
 
School Health Liaison: For the first time, teenage conception levels are dropping. This coincides with the council taking on a specialist advisor to work with schools and families. The proposal is to cut this post. There is a growing chorus of concern about this (including from schools – particularly primary schools) and I hope to see this proposal dropped.
 
Adult Social Care: Proposals to cut over £4 million from this budget are very shaky. There are a large number of factors that mean it is at risk of failure (to deliver service on budget). This will be a major issue in the coming few weeks . Unless more money is found from somewhere, I will certainly argue at council on 1 February that the council should not sign the annual agreement with the care trust. This is because the Council will pick up the full bill if the care trust’s budget fails or overruns.

Library Services: There are plans to cut opening hours (savings of £170k). Again, I am offering resistance but I am less hopeful of success than in say, youth/early years/adult social care areas.
 
Environmental Health - Out of Office Hours Service: I am fighting hard to increase the money for this to make it a fit for purpose service, rather than eliminate it which seems to be the mayor's tack. The misery caused by noisy neighbours cannot be imagined, it has to be experienced. It is on the increase in Ellacombe. This cut is completely unacceptable in my view.

The full report from Overview & Scrutiny will be available over the next couple of days and will appear on the Torbay Council website: www.torbay.gov.uk

On a different note, don’t miss out on the chance to see Nigel Farage live at the Riviera International Conference Centre on Monday, 20 February (see full details on this page to right).

Nigel is an inspirational speaker, and someone who is fully entitled to say “I told you so!” when it comes to the horrendous consequences of the collapse of the euro.

However, he does not focus on the fact that he was right all along, he continues to point to alternatives that the other parties try to say do not exist. If like me you are sick of the wet utterances of the desperate duo (Dave and Cleggers), come along on 20 February and hear what a real political leader sounds like!

Wtih best wishes,

Julien

Each year, I publish a report to the residents of Ellacombe. Find the Autumn/Winter 2011 issue here