Council's charges rise to meet deficit cuts (From The Northern Echo)

Council's charges rise to meet deficit cuts

10:15am Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Bishop Auckland News By Mark Tallentire

Council leader Simon Henig accused the Government of unfairly hitting poorer Northern councils harder and failing to be up front on the impact of funding cuts

TAXPAYERS face higher service charges and losing community wardens, as the North-East’s biggest council tries to balance its budget.

Durham County Council plans to cut 20 neighbourhood warden jobs and merge their work with dog wardens, while increasing charges for services that include Durham’s park-and-ride buses.

The proposals come as the Labour-led authority expects to lose nearly £190m from its annual spending power between 2010 and 2017 – about 40 per cent.

Council leader Simon Henig accused the Government of unfairly hitting poorer Northern councils harder and failing to be up front on the impact of funding cuts.

“I don’t understand why the Government’s deficit programme has to impact more on the North-East than the South-East. Older people there will be better looked after than here,” he said.

“They’re not being up-front with people. They’re trying to pass on the blame to individual councils. We need some honesty.”

Durham County Council, which cut £18m in 2010-11, now faces having to cut £66.4m in 2011-12, £26.6m in 2012-13, £20.9m in 2013-14, £24.5m in 2014-15, £20.8m in 2015-16 and £12.6m in 2016-17; totalling £189.8m between 2010 and 2017, or 40 per cent of its 2010 spending.

Finance chiefs expect to spend an extra £2.35m on fuel and energy in 2012-13, £1m more in landfill tax as the charge rises by £8 per tonne and, as more people reach bus pass age, £850,000 extra on concessionary fares.

The ruling Labour group wants to cut back office spending and introduce charges for free school meal verification, pest control services and parking at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield.

Library opening hours would be reduced and charges for Durham City’s park-andride buses would rise.

The roles of neighbourhood wardens and dog wardens would be merged, and the overall number of posts reduced to about 50.

However, council tax is to be frozen for a third consecutive year, taking advantage of a £5m Government grant.

Labour also wants to:

• Protect the winter maintenance budget;
• Pump £2.15m extra into adult social care, as 1,000 extra people need the service each year;
• Put £1.5m more into safeguarding children, as more youngsters need help;
• Invest an extra £3.5m to boost the economy.

The council, which previously employed about 22,000 people, has so far axed 950 of the 1,600 jobs it wants to cut by 2015.

Coun Henig said: “We’re in a completely different ball park now. Councils will look completely different by 2017.

“It’s pointless comparing how services are now or will be in 2017 with how they were five years ago. You can’t take £171m out of an organisation without having an impact.”

The proposals will go before the council’s Labour cabinet next Wednesday before the budget is agreed at a full council meeting on Wednesday, February 22.

Opposition political groups, including the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, are expected to unveil alternative budget proposals within days.