The Cabinet considered a report by the Chief Executive and Councillor Phil Davies informed it that he intended to move a Budget Options resolution for 2015-16.  Before he moved his resolution he invited Mr Phil Goodwin, Unison Branch Secretary to address the Cabinet.

Mr Goodwin accepted the invitation and reminded the Cabinet that for four years in succession the Council, like others in the North West of England, had been forced to implement cuts due to the Coalition Government’s austerity measures.

Mr Goodwin informed that in many parts of the Council, work forces had been “cut to the bone” and some services were now being provided by a “skeleton work forces”. Some staff had suffered cuts of up to £7,000 per annum and some staff members were still under the threat of redundancy.  The Council had £4 million worth of savings options to consider but £2.5 million worth would need to be agreed.  Mr Goodwin asked the Cabinet to avoid options that result in job cut backs and pay cuts.  He suggested that the Cabinet amended the measures proposed and save public services. Mr Goodwin asked that the Cabinet take account of the fact that the workforce had “suffered long and hard from cuts, as a result of the Coalition Government’s actions”.

Councillor Phil Davies introduced the Chief Executive’s report on the Council’s budget proposals for public consultation.  The report informed that on 8 September 2014, the Chief Executive had published a series of budget proposals for public consultation as the Council sought to make savings of £18 million in 2015-2016. 

The Future Council project had identified potential savings of £15.5 million through changes and efficiencies.  If implemented, these changes would potentially reduce the budget gap to £2.5 million in 2015-2016.  Options were proposed for public consultation which totalled £3.7 million, providing choice for Members in setting the budget.

The report also presented a summary of the feedback from the public consultation and the pre-decision scrutiny work completed by the Policy and Performance Committees.  The Cabinet was requested to consider these findings, and if it was so minded, to use this feedback to inform its budget deliberations and recommendations. 

Councillor Davies informed the Cabinet that the Council was faced with a situation where, for five years running, it had to make draconian and savage cuts because of Central Government.  The Council had to find savings of £18 million in 2015-16 and £70 million over the next three years.  £151 million had already been found since 2010.  Councillor Davies also informed that he was of the view that the Council could not sustain that level of cuts without affecting its services.  If there was to be more cuts like this for another five years, it would mean the end of local government as people knew it.  Councillor Davies also informed that he had not come into public service to make cuts as he believed in vibrant public services and strong local government. Unfortunately, the present Government had an opposing view to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 106