Shock at more council cuts

The council has announced its latest cuts in the budget totalling £45 million for the financial year commencing on 1 April next year. This is in addition to the £94 million of savings that have already been budgeted for in the three year period from April 2010 to March 2013.

The most severe cuts will fall on the Adult Care/Children, Schools and Family Service.

Rochdale Online has asked for more details about the cuts relating to which specific services will be involved and to what extent.

Council Leader Colin Lambert said: “Making savings on this scale presents a huge challenge. £45 million is around 22 per cent of the council’s controllable budget. We are considering entirely new ways of providing some of our services so we can maintain the most critical but deliver them at a lower cost.

"Our government allocation for 2015-16 is also still to be confirmed but there is no getting around the fact that there will be a significant impact on certain services.

“I urge residents to read the details of the proposals that affect services they use and give us their views during the three months of consultation before decisions are made.

"Unfortunately some redundancies will be necessary and we have already started to talk to those potentially affected to provide assistance and support.”

The proposals will cause deep dismay amongst those who have already seen severe cuts in service provision; particularly amongst the most vulnerable. Chill-Out organisers, who have campaigned tirelessly against cuts in homelessness provision across the borough, have met with councillors and senior council officials to discuss how the latest proposals will affect them. Key to the changes is to pass over responsibility for re-housing the homeless to RBH.

‘Chill-Out’ organisers gave a statement to Rochdale Online: “We are extremely concerned about the way in which these cuts will affect the most vulnerable people in the borough. ‘Chill-Out’ has acted in good faith and has worked hard with the council to ensure that those in the most acute need are not made to bear the brunt of cuts in service.

“We will be studying the proposed changes in detail and discussing them with our supporters before participating in the consultation.

"This will be the second review of the homelessness situation within a few months and this, coupled with major changes to the benefits system coming in from next year, make this a particularly unsettling time.

“We have strong evidence that homelessness in the borough is continuing to rise and the council needs to get its policy right.

"We remain committed to working in partnership with RMBC on these issues but these cuts are bad news however you look at it.”

The proposals can be viewed on the council website from 5.00pm on 18 September 2012 and you will be able to submit your comments. The closing date for the public consultation will be 12 December 2012. Responses and suggestions will be considered before the final decisions are announced in February.

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