Forum Topic

Services reprieved

This has been pasted on W4 by David McLoughlin:Here's the latest Council press release:Hounslow Council works with residents to minimise cuts to frontline services- Majority of youth services to be retained- Street cleansing services to be fully maintained - Library savings postponed- Community halls savings also postponed to develop planHounslow Council has announced it intends to minimise cuts to frontline services after residents offered their views in the public budget consultation.Nearly 7,000 residents completed the consultation, which offered people in Hounslow the opportunity to share their views on the council services they felt needed saving the most after central government cut funding to the borough by £60m over four years. As a result of public views, the council’s Executive has put forward revised proposals that would ensure youth centre activities in Hanworth, Hogarth, Southville and the Hub will remain open and fully functional, with scaled-down savings taken from administrative roles instead. Street cleansing services will also be retained in their entirety after residents declared how much they valued these services, with 58% disagreeing with the proposal to reduce levels. The public response to libraries was also positive, with 57% of residents wanting to retain all the sites. As a result of the public budget consultation, Hounslow Council has proposed that immediate savings can be delivered by deferring some book purchases, minimising the risk of library closure. In the meantime, a more specific library consultation is underway which will inform the longer term strategy. Following the consultation, the Executive also recommended that cuts to community halls were delayed. This will allow detailed options for transferring the halls to community groups to be developed.To view the report and a full rundown of the public budget consultation results, click here.The full list of proposals, including the revised options, will be put forward to the meeting of executive members on 8 February at the Civic Centre in Hounslow, with the final budget decision being made by all councillors on 1 March.Cllr Jagdish Sharma, leader of Hounslow Council said: “The near 7,000 responses we received were vital in helping us to make the tough choices about where we can save money after central government cut £60 million from our budget over the next four years."The strong responses offered about a number of the necessary savings proposals have shown us areas where our residents simply don’t want to see cuts or a reduction in services. We are committed to listening to the people of Hounslow and making sure your views are heard and these services are protected as much as possible. “I wish we didn’t have to make these cuts to services, but the response we have received from residents has been staggering. I would like to thank each and every person who returned the form and let you know your views have been heard and we are trying our hardest to protect the services which clearly matter to you. “We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable residents in Hounslow, and with the public’s help I believe we can do this, despite the huge cuts to government funding we are faced with.”ENDSFor media enquiries contact:James David SmithCorporate Communications OfficerLondon Borough of Hounslow020 8583 6590www.hounslow.gov.uk --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vanessa Smith ● 5567d9 Comments

Jim,Careful!Can't be having you getting up Vanessa's nose now can we!?;-)

Keith Iddon ● 5566d

Jim you really have a habit of getting right up my nose, clearly my politics are a mile from yours BUT this statement:"The fate of so many local services is now in the hands of a Council who might not be up to the task of making informed judgements. Who knows?"This statement could equally be applied to this government after all even Mervyn King didn't rate the sense or capabilities of Dave and Georgie with the economy. Like it or not and admit it to yourself or not the reason for these draconian measures are two fold - one - a worldwide economic recession caused in no small measure by bankers and their antics with sub prime mortgages amongst other tricks. And two - by a government that is cutting idealogically and not economically. It says it all about the Tory approach that you seem to think that it was O.K. that Cllr. McGregor had to have the help of consultants - and how much was spent on them? We know of at least £1 miilion that went on consultancy.  People on here moan and groan about the senior officers pay - well if you need to have consultants as well why do you need both? - Why didn't the last council get rid of these Directors of departments and just buy in consultants as and when required? Or alternatively, use the expertise of the senior officers which is why they are employed in the first place? Council Tax may well have risen but at least we had services - even you can understand the simple maths that if you want something then you have to pay for it surely?

Vanessa Smith ● 5566d

Vanessa continues to mention cuts,cuts cuts for the next three years etc as though it is all the Government's fault.I would like to remind her that the London Borough of Hounslow's ratepayers endured 35 years years of waste, waste,waste,waste,waste,waste,waste with rising Council Tax of unjustified proportions...bolsteredby supportive TradesUnions and greedy suppliers.Many of you will remember the farcical discussions on this forum with some of the Labour Party members which often displayed inept arithmetic, foggy explanations whilst at the same time overseeing the spending of £600,000,000 each year! You'll remeber the names.Thankfully,in my view,the Conservative Administration made amends to stem someleakage using professional skills and judgements. My understanding is that Cllr Gerald MacGregor was able to led this exercise..with the help of Consultants..and it seems a pity that the Electorate (uninformed or not) didn't recognise that when they went to vote at last May's local elections.The fate of so many local services is now in the hands of a Council who might not be up to the task of making informed judgements. Who knows?Do they know how to trim expenditure? Are they straightjacketed by over favourable employment agreements, spanish customs and more? Who knows?Who are the knowledgable experts who can inform us so that WE can make judgements.

Jim Lawes ● 5567d

I am as in the dark as anyone - I have absolutely no idea what is planned, but I reckon even if things are given a reprieve now the government plans mean cuts every year for the next three years - something councils will never have had to face before. So we could be back at square one come next year.

Vanessa Smith ● 5567d

KeithThe "savings" are from the £3m of ballast that was added into the consultation.  There was always scope to withdraw some of the proposed cuts to the tune of this amount.If you look closely neither the libraries nor the community halls have had the threat against them lifted, and there is total silence on the question of the area committees.  In my view the local authority is embarking upon a war of attrition with the community in the belief that we will not have the resources nor the will to sustain a campaign indefinitely.It is important that the campaign is not lulled into a false sense of security by this announcement, nor by posts on forums which are intended to imply that the threat has passed.  We must persist until the future of all our community facilities, forums and institutions is guaranteed.

Phil Andrews ● 5567d

Good news,on the face of it..makes me wonder though where the cuts to make up for these will be.

Keith Iddon ● 5567d

Any sarcasm Vanessa was directed at the OP.  You are right though, nothing about area committees.  Would it be fair then to assume that they are for the chop?

Phil Andrews ● 5567d

All I was doing was passing it on - I make no judgement as to whether or not it's going to happen, there is no need to be sarcastic - it doesn't suit you, well, second thoughts it's par for the course. I didn't see anything about the area committees fate in that release. In future I won't bother you with such trivia.

Vanessa Smith ● 5567d

Thank you for this information Vanessa.  We are all eternally grateful, nonetheless if it is okay by you and Mr Loughlin we will continue to campaign for the retention of our libraries, community centres and area committees until we receive unequivocal confirmation that they will be retained indefinitely.

Phil Andrews ● 5567d