‘Cuts to family support unkind and uncaring’
CONSERVATIVE Councillor Jos Saunders, who represents Poynton East and Pott Shrigley, spoke after the full council meeting to say why she could not support the council’s budget.
She said: “This budget is unkind, this budget is uncaring. This administration plans to reduce funding for our early help services.
“The very service that provides unbelievable support to our families that face challenges and which can prevent children entering care. This budget plans to cut the number of family service workers in early help. Workers who have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic and provided unstinting advice and encouragement to our families.
“Yet they have a budget of £43,500 for 2020/21 to spend on replacing street signs. What does this tell us? Does the administration care more about street signs than children and families.
“This budget is uncaring. It plans over the next three years to reduce funding for commissioned services for children with learning disabilities by £3m.
“This will affect families who already face unbelievable challenges.
“Yet in October this administration agreed to spend £2.1m on a youth zone in Crewe plus a further £400,000 per year. This is probably a great idea for the youths of Crewe, but it doesn’t benefit the children of Macclesfield and rural areas who cannot get there and it certainly does not help our children with learning disabilities who live throughout the borough whose services are being cut by £3m.
“So, I say again, this budget is unkind, it is uncaring and I will not be supporting it.”