Consultation exercise sets out potential cuts

The public consultation asks for views on a range of potential cuts to allow North Lanarkshire to balance the books.

Each of the three parties in the council chamber will consider the options, which total more than £14m, and the public response before selecting which of the measures to implement to achieve the required £8.2m saving.

Some of the suggested options and their attendant pricings are –

Review janitorial resource to all schools, reducing cover to 37 hours term-time: £795,000.

Introduce charges for car parking“to discourage commuters from using provision in town centres and so give preference to short-term parking which will assist in regeneration”: £700,000.

Review number of household waste recycling centres: £694,000.

Introduce a flat-rate fee of £25 fee for all special uplift requests eg black bags, suites: £640,000.

Reduce burial subsidy, resulting in 18 per cent increase in cemetery fees, and reduce grounds maintenance specification: £498,000.

Introduce a school shared support staffing model, through a reduction in staff numbers and term-time working;“this could include classroom assistants, technicians and administrative employees”: £535,000.

Review cleaning with new machinery and reduction from five to three days: £386,000 for secondaries, £166,000 for primaries.

Review and potentially reduce the council’s 39 sheltered housing complexes, redesignating some as amenity housing: £328,000.

Increase price of school meals by 5p in each of the next two academic years: £200,000.

Reduce community events including festive lighting outside town centres and cessation of Coatbridge and Airdrie fireworks events: £150,000.

Close Drumpellier plant nursery and Viewpark display houses: £125,000.