Reductions to housing support are paused but library service is still in line for cuts
Plans to cut funding support from some of the most vulnerable people in West Sussex by more than £1million have been suspended for a year – but a number of libraries are still at risk.
Last Thursday the county council’s cabinet looked at 18 budget options put forward for millions of pounds of possible cuts or savings.
Perhaps the most controversial was that of housing related support.
The service offers help to homeless and vulnerable people and last year there was a huge out cry when it was announced that £4million of its £6.3million budget would be cut by April, 2020.
This latest proposal called for another £1.3million to be cut in 2020/21, leaving just £1million in the pot.
With a lot of work going on between the council and partners to help stretch the budget and find other funding streams, Amanda Jupp, cabinet member for adults and health, asked for the idea to be dropped.
Explaining that there were ‘many critical decisions being made’, she added: “I would really regret losing the trust that we have built up with our partners and providers since this decision was originally taken.”
It was agreed to suspend the proposal for one year.
Members were given three options for the 18 areas – to put them forward for more work to find out if they would be viable, to take them off the table completely, and to pause any further work until a later stage.
Even if paused, a proposal could be put back on the table at a later point.
One of the other proposals was to save up to £500,000 by making some changes to the library services – such as closing several ‘tier 6’ libraries, reducing opening hours, and axing the mobile library service.
The 13 libraries in tier 6 are: Angmering, Arundel, Broadwater, East Preston, Ferring, Findon Valley, Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint, Petworth, Pulborough, Southbourne, Southwater and Witterings.
This proposal was put forward for further work.
They also looked at a list of 12 other ideas from members, agreeing to put four of them forward for a closer look.
They were: raising money by renting out libraries as business meeting rooms when they are not in use; raising money by leasing unused space at County Hall; cuts to the council’s communications and policy team and removing its communities and partnership team.
A report stated all the work was ‘at a very early stage’ and no final decisions have been taken.
The full list of decisions was as follows:1. Review in-house residential and day care services: put forward
2. Review transport to care services: paused
3. Limit inflationary increase in fees paid to care providers: put forward
4. Manage demand pressure – older people: put forward
5. Reduce housing-related support: suspended for a year
6. Reduce Local Assistance Network: put forward but with £100,000 cut rather than £200,000
7. Reduce post-16 support service: put forward but with £95,000 cut not £190,000
8. Increase Special Support Centres in schools: put forward
9. Reduce the number of household waste recycling sites (HWRS): deferred for a year
10. Withdraw the mobile household waste recycling service: put forward
11. Reintroduce charging for DIY waste at household waste recycling sites: put forward
12. Reduce recycling credits: put forward
13. Review community hubs library offer: put forward
14. Reduce highways place based services: rejected
15. Reduce supported bus services: paused
16. Cease discretionary bus passes: paused
17. Accelerate Whole Council Design: put forward
18. Increase income from fees & charges: put forward