Councillor Jane Ashworth, Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, discusses why the authority is preparing to make £8 million cuts to its annual budget and why she is calling for business people to take part in the consultation process.
Sometimes you have to take very difficult decisions. That is where we find ourselves at the council as we look to balance the books.
No administration wants to cut services, and we have done our best to trim the budget through efficiency savings and other non-impactful measures.
But the shortfall we face means we still need to save more by making changes to some frontline services and by raising money in other ways.
We are also in detailed talks with the Government for a package of extra funding support worth £44.7 million over a two-year period. We should have an answer on that by March.
The problem is that years of austerity have meant we have seen a £270 million funding reduction in the city council’s budgets over the past decade.
This is down to a number of factors, including rising inflation, previous savings we have had to find and other external financial pressures – as well as a reduction in central government funding.
Meanwhile, the enduring impact of the Covid pandemic and the increasing pressures of adult social care and children’s services are really taking their toll.
We are not the only authority affected like this. And, right now, one in five councils are facing the prospect of not being able to set a balanced budget, either now or in future years.
But it is vital that we do balance the books. Not to do so could result in government commissioners running the council. This could lead to even more radical cuts in services – potentially everything from leisure centres and museums closing to street cleaning, grass cutting stopping and less frequent bin collections.
That’s why we are determined to tackle this head on.
As we do so, we will continue to be completely transparent and to listen to what people want.
That is why the current consultation on £3.4 million of the cuts is so vital. We want everyone to get involved and have their say.
In particular, through this column in Daily Focus, I want to appeal to people involved in business to come forward with proposals.
Business people are used to thinking on their feet when it comes to running their own companies and they are also invested in the local communities, both for themselves, their colleagues and their employees. So, we know what happens really matters to them.
That is why I welcome and call for their feedback on the budget proposals. We will take on board all the suggestions and do all we can to shape our final decision based on the proposals we receive.
For more details on the proposals, see the Daily Focus story here.
The budget consultation will run to 12 February.
Residents can give their views via [email protected], visiting www.stoke.gov.uk/budget2024, contacting the council on social media via searching for SoTCityCouncil on both Facebook and X, or by writing to Budget 2024, c/o Executive Assistant to the Director of Strategy and Resources, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke, ST4 1HH.
