Residents to have their say on £17m cuts plans
RESIDENTS in a Widnes neighbourhood are being asked to comment on initial proposals being considered by Knowsley Council to save £16.8m over the next three years.
The Whiston And Cronton ward is administratively part of Knowsley, rather than Halton.
A Knowsley Council spokesman said that additional cuts were needed as the authority managed further reductions in its funding, imposed by the Government.
Halton Borough Council announced last week that it was facing reductions in Government grant funding of £17m over the next four years.
A consultation has been launched in Knowsley and Cronton residents are being encouraged to provide feedback on the savings options by completing an online form by Friday, January 20.
The savings options will then be considered in February and a final decision made in March.
Among the 140 options being considered include stopping a mobile library service, reducing th e opening ● hours of a contact centre and one stop shops, reviewing all adult social care packages to ensure they are tailored very specifically to the individual needs of each person, and recommissioning youth services to focus on targeted areas.
The council spokesman added that there could be around 100 potential job losses and that the area has had to make £86m of savings since 2010, which has reduced the workforce by more than a quarter.
Council leader Andy Moorhead said: “The council does not want to be in this position, and the Government should be ashamed of its continued attacks on the vulnerable people in our communities who most need support from public services.
“Nevertheless, the cuts are a reality. The borough has no choice but to manage our way through this challenge as best we can, and with as little disruption as possible to residents who rely on council services.
“We will do everything we can to continue to protect the services and support which our residents and local communities both need and value.
“We are encouraging new housebuilding and supporting businesses to relocate and expand in Knowsley. This brings in new funding to the council and reduces the cuts we have to make.
“However due to the significant sums of money involved, these further cuts will inevitably have consequences for people in our borough.
“No decisions have yet been made, and I encourage everybody to view the options and let us have views before the closing date of January 20.”
People can offer their views and see a full list of saving options by visiting www. knowsley. gov. uk/ your- council/ consultations/ budget- savingsconsultation
AMEMBER of Halton Magistrates’ Court staff has warned that the Government is unlikely to recoup much cash from the building’s sale after it shuts this month.
A copy of the Ministry Of Justice (MOJ) response to the public consultation obtained by the Weekly News showed that the employee cast doubt on whether the move to shut the facility would make financial sense because of ‘ extremely poor resale prospects’.
In response, the MOJ said it would be required to sell the building within three years of it being declared surplus and would save cash on running costs and make efficiencies from having court work housed in one building in Warrington.
Other objections in the document included opposition from Derek Twigg, MP for Halton, who said that the closure would leave the borough without a court.
The MOJ received 12 responses during the consultation, 11 of which opposed the plan and one supported it.
Those who commented consisted of two HM Courts And Tribunals Service staff, two members of the judiciary, two magistrates, a criminal justice partner, one member of the public, Mr Twigg, one person from another public sector body, one professional user and one from a union or staff group.
The MOJ said it expected to save £353,000 a year in running costs, based on figures for 2014-15.
Halton Borough Council raised concern over leaving the system without capacity to accommodate emergency or urgent access, but the MOJ said that moving the work to Warrington and creating a single crime centre would ‘enable more flexible and efficient listing of cases’.
The court, which is next to Runcorn Police Station and Runcorn Shopping Centre, is due to close on Friday, January 13, and will join a growing collection of vacant former ● government buildings in the area.
In reply to the concern about the ‘poor resale prospects’, the MOJ said: “In accordance with central Government guidance, HM Courts And Tribunals Service is required to dispose of its assets as expeditiously as possible, within six months of being declared surplus for housing and within three years for all other properties.
“The disposal is however dependent on a number of factors, such as the market, potential future use and location.”
It added: “All the points raised by respondents to the consultation have been analysed and following careful consideration, the Lord Chancellor has decided that Runcorn (Halton) Magistrates’ Court will close and its workload will move to Warrington Magistrates’ Court.
“This decision forms part of the plan to relocate Warrington Magistrates’ Court to Warrington Combined Court Centre.
“Tribunal hearings will move to St Helens County Court.”