24.09.18
Edinburgh council plans out £30m cuts to tackle four-year £106m black hole
Edinburgh Council have announced a wave of consultations and set out their four-year plan to tackle their budget gap and growing strains on services.
The council are seeking resident’s views on the draft strategy ‘Planning for Change and Delivering Services’ which looks at how the authority delivers its services from 2019 to 2023.
The City of Edinburgh Council faces a £106m shortfall between now and 2022-23 and has plans to make £28m in savings in 2019-20 alone to combat the budget gap.
But the new strategy under consultation sets out opportunities for service reforms and financial savings as Edinburgh looks to set out long-term planning amidst a challenging financial climate for authorities across the country.
Finance and resources convener for the council, Alasdair Rankin, said that instead of small reductions each year, the council should “develop a longer-term, broad-minded plan that will see us through” until 2023.
He said: “Like all local authorities, Edinburgh must prepare for the significant financial challenges that lie ahead.
“Meeting these challenges will require tough choices, which is why we need to embrace a forward- thinking and ambitious change strategy.
“This is a strategic response to the opportunities and challenges facing the capital now and in the future and will form the main basis for a plan for a more progressive city with increased opportunities and reduced inequality.”
Subject to approval at the next Finance and Resources Committee on Friday, the consultation will open on 1 October and last 10 weeks until 7 December.
Edinburgh’s council will then set its budget in February.
The proposals include five key areas; prevention, operation of core services, increasing income, cultural and leisure assets and how the council work with partners like the NHS.
Marion Donaldson, finance and resources vice convener, said: “We are working hard to bring together proposals which will balance our budget whilst maximising investment in priority services and protecting vulnerable people.
“I want to be clear that no decisions have yet been made and we want to hear people’s views on our outline proposals.”
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Image Credit - georgeclerk