IN A 48 HOUR STRAW POLL, Canvey Beat readers backed the Coalition Government’s programme of cuts.
Fifty-five per cent were in favour, against 45 per cent who were opposed or undecided.
This week the Government will put flesh on the bones of its Autumn spending review and, by the end of the week, councils will have a good idea of how the cuts are likely to impact them.
Already, the Coalition is playing down the severity of its measures by describing cuts in terms of ‘average’ percentages; but such terms are misleading. On average councils will have to cut their spending budgets by 11 per cent from April next year – but that figure is more like 15 per cent when inflation is taken into consideration..
Ministers are aware that councils will try to cut back on non-statutory services and will urge them to cut staff costs to preserve front line services.
The Local Government Association, which lobbies for councils, has published a list of non-protected services which are at risk from the cuts. They include play parks, arts projects, leisure centres, swimming pools, theatres, music venues, grass cutting, public toilets and visitor information centres.
Other services include garden waste collections, youth groups and clubs, debt advice clinics, community centres and crime reduction schemes.
Castle Point councillors could be faced with a reduction of some £1 million in its 2010/11 formula grant of £6.65 million – and the Canvey Island Independent Party opposition has yet to declare which areas it regards as sacrosanct.
The only CIIP councillor to have made any comment regarding cuts appears to have been Neville Watson, whom will be setting-out his own solution to the Castle Point Social Car Scheme’s funding at tonight’s full council meeting.
What solutions Neville’s party will propose to solve the big issue, however, remains to be seen…
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