09.10.18
Seven Northamptonshire councils write to Brokenshire of ‘concern’ over county cuts
Leaders of Northamptonshire’s district and borough councils have written to the communities secretary outlining their concern at Northamptonshire County Council’s severe spending cuts in a bid to meet a £65m deficit.
The seven district and borough councils said they were concerned at Northamptonshire County Council — which voted to scrap their current local government structure in September and replace it with a unitary authority, after making severe spending cuts to services amid severe financial pressures — in its aim to save an additional £20m in 2018-19 on top of £45m already-planned cuts.
The letter, obtained by the BBC, argued that the stabilisation plan outlined by Northamptonshire CC “shows many of the flaws” which have marked the county council’s financial management in recent years.
It went on to say that the “pace must be quicker and costs savings must be genuine, not pushing problems down the road for a year for example.”
The letter comes after analysis of a company owned by Northamptonshire County Council NEA Properties’ accounts spent £1.55m on unspecified projects between 2008 and 2018, when the company ceased to exist.
Northamptonshire CC will meet today to vote on the stabilisation plan, with a focus on reducing spending on agency staff and sourcing an additional £6m by increasing the amount of people who will be required to pay council tax.
Letter signatories include leaders of Northampton Borough Council, East Northamptonshire District Council, South District Northamptonshire, Wellingborough Borough Council, Corby Borough Council, Kettering Borough Council, Daventry District Council.
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