Council agrees £1.25m budget

Third Sector groups finally had a new budget of more than £1million approved by West Lothian Council at a special meeting of the executive on Monday.

The revenue grants budget, which gives £1.253million to community and voluntary groups was agreed by a hastily convened Executive after the original decision-day had to be abandoned.

Eight of the 13 councillors at the Executive Committee meeting last Tuesday had to leave the debate because of declared interests.

They were promptly followed out of the door by two councillors who had declared no interests, leaving an almost empty chamber and surprised officials. There was not enough councillors to debate the budget so the meeting was closed.

The budget changes come on the back of the cutbacks the council has to make. The new budget shaves £481,000 from previous years but has been welcomed the Third Sector as a new collaboration between the council and voluntary groups.

The last minute scramble to get the budget passed is in stark contrast to a long and carefully organised process in which groups worked within a new bidding framework after undergoing“health checks” to see if their organisations were cable of delivering what they planned. Custom and practice has been for the budget to be decided by the Christmas break so the organisation start January knowing what their funding will be when the new financial year begins in April.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Councillor Damian Timson asked if the delayed decision would have a knock-on effects on the process. Head of Service Craig McCorriston said he would would be getting the budget decisions to organisations as quickly as possible.

Voluntary groups had been kept informed in the wake of the collapse of the meeting and one volunteer said the only cause for concern would be delays to the application