30 September 2010
Difficult Choices for Difficult Times
This, just in, from Argyll & Bute Council..........................
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Budget consultation comments keep on coming
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Residents from across Argyll and Bute have been submitting their ideas on how the council could reduce its spending.
A regular flow of comments has arrived at the council’s offices since the consultation was launched on August 12, with a range of suggestions covering all service areas.
Ideas proposed include collecting bins every fortnight instead of every week, merging under-occupied schools and using email instead of posting out documents. Others have suggested sharing services with other public sector organisations, asking community groups to take responsibility for grass cutting and flower displays and charging higher fines for littering.
Most of the suggestions have been submitted anonymously, using feedback forms on the back of the council’s budget consultation leaflet “Difficult Choices for Difficult Times, which is available from council offices and libraries.
Comments have also come from the council’s budget consultation section on its website: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk
And direct feedback has come from meetings of the Local Area Community Planning Groups held in Dunoon, Campbeltown, Oban and Helensburgh.
All comments received are being fed into the budget review and a short-list of money saving options produced. There will be the opportunity for further consultation on these options later in the year.
Sally Loudon, chief executive, has been impressed by the quantity and quality of the suggestions received. She explains: “We need to reduce the amount we spend by around £30 million, which means we have some difficult choices ahead of us. We need people to know that we’re not taking any decision until we have considered all the options – and we’re keen to know which options our customers think are priorities. This is the first time the council has opened up its budget setting process and I’ve been impressed by the number of people who have taken the time to send us their thoughts. There is still time for people to send suggestions and I hope more of them will.”
The initial consultation is open until December 2010. Suggestion forms can be found at www.argyll-bute.gov.uk or by emailing budget@argyll-bute.gov.uk
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