Views of young people sought over council spending plans
YOUNG people are being asked to add their voices to a major public consultation over Bridgend council’s future spending.
As part of the local authority’s ongoing consultation over its budget plans – and running alongside the Shaping Bridgend’s Future online survey – the council has produced a version of the consultation aimed at school-aged youngsters.
Both surveys will be open until Thursday, December 1, and invite local people to comment on several proposals the council is putting forward to help shave its spending.
Among them is an idea to save £500,000 in energy costs through a new street lighting system, and proposals to carry out more road repairs during the daytime and to review how parks and playing fields are supported.
The survey also asks whether Bridgend council should continue to subsidise primary school meals or ask parents to cover more of the costs. The council says increasing the charge by 10p per meal would save around £50,000-a-year.
Councillor Hywel Williams, the council’s deputy leader, said: “Bridgend County Borough Council provides hundreds of different services for around 140,000 residents living across the county borough.
“The population is increasing and living longer while ongoing funding shortfalls mean that we expect to have to make further budget savings of around £37m by 2020.
“This is a hugely-significant amount of money, but we have already achieved recurrent savings of more than £30m by disposing of surplus council assets, reducing some services and setting up partnerships to run our arts and culture venues, libraries, leisure centres and swimming pools.
“Now we want to try and reflect as many residents’ wishes as possible as we determine where we are going to focus our spending in 2017-18, and how we are going to cover the remaining £37m funding shortfall.
“Council tax raises £67m, but this forms only a small part of the council’s overall annual budget.
“To put it in perspective, we spend £87m on education, £40m on adult social care and £17m on safeguarding and family support services alone.
“There are no obvious or easy answers but our aim is to protect essential services, support those who are most in need, and spend money as wisely, efficiently and as effectively as we can.
“I hope that residents will work with us as we seek to achieve all of this.”
There are printed copies of the survey at local libraries and alternative formats are available by emailing consultation@ bridgend.gov.uk or calling 01656 643664.