Leader’s budget chat on Facebook

ANGUS Campbell, leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, will have a live Facebook chat with constituents tomorrow (Friday) regarding the council’s budget.

The talk follows a series of public meetings across the constituency to discuss the local authority’s finances, with £8.5 million of savings needed in 2016/17. The last meeting was due to be held today (Thursday) in the council chambers in Stornoway.

A total of £ 6.3 million in savings have already been identified by the council, leaving £2.2 million to be found through service choices.

A number of service choices have been agreed by councillors and will now go to public consultation. These include the arrangements for residential care for children, a reduction in both street lighting and road maintenance budgets, and a review of concessionary fares on inter-island ferry services.

In addition, there is £1.3 million-worth pressure on the council’s social care budget, which may be protected by the £250 million put aside for national health and social care partnerships by the Scottish Government.

Discussions between the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and Holyrood are ongoing.

Councillor Campbell said: ‘I hope our communities will take part in this budget consultation and give their views on what their priorities are. Councillors unanimously agreed at a seminar last week to not consider school closures and air services for consultation, and I am disappointed that these areas were put into the public domain before any formal discussion took place and which could have caused confusion amongst our communities. Due to past financial management, we are in a more fortunate position than some other local authorities in setting our budget. However, having to find this level of savings on top of the savings made over the past few years is challenging to say the least.’

Residents have until January 29 to add to the consultation, which can be viewed at: www. cne- siar. gov. uk/ fcr/ budgetstrategy.asp

Suggestions can be submitted to: budgetconsultation@cnesiar.gov.uk

Results will be discussed at February’s full council meeting.