Report reveals need for council cutbacks
Councillors were warned this week that savings of £5 million are needed over the next three years.
A report by chief executive Jim Dillon and director Nick Edwards was submitted to Scarborough Council’s overview and scrutiny board yesterday.
The report reads: “Historic analysis show that the council has fared particularly badly in recent years through the government’s settlement process.”
They add that while 108 local authorities saw an increase on their core spending power in the current financial year, Scarborough had a cut of three per cent. Now, an efficiency plan has been drawn up to cover up to 2020 with the aim, say the officers, of delivering the necessary savings to balance the budget, using capital receipts and to ensure that borrowing is affordable. The plan has been drawn up, they said in a report, to ensure the council can apply for a four-year funding settlement from the government and benefit from flexibility in the use of capital receipts.
The report states: “Since 2010, the council has made savings of £14.9 million from its annual revenue budget. During that same period, performance in many areas of the council has increased. This investment has brought significant benefits including boosting tourism, job creation and the attraction of major inward investment will upskill the local workforce for years to come.”
The report continues: “The council has been involved in exciting projects and where relevant, will continue to pursue including offshore wind farms, potash mine at Whitby, the opening of the new leisure village, redevelopment of the Futurist Theatre site at Scarborough and development of the Whitby and Scarborough business parks. These schemes demonstrate the council’s longterm commitment and investment in economic growth.”
But they warn in their report that budget cuts will mean a general down-sizing will be “inevitable” of council run services.
“Such cuts will however be considered as a last resort and will only be pursued after all efficiency and partnership working opportunities have been reviewed.”