Council services may have to be axed

WARRINGTON Borough Council faces hard choices on whether to reduce or even stop altogether some of the services is currently provides.
The warning has been given by Cllr Russ Bowden, the council’s executive member for corporate resources, ahead of tonight’s council budget meeting.
Councillors are expected to approve a council tax increase of 1.98 per cent – but Cllr Bowden (pictured) points out that Warrington’s tax will still be way behind the average council tax for unitary authorities outside London.
He said: “Warrington continues to face significant budget pressures as a result of cuts to government funding and this looks to continue long into the future.
“Our funding reductions come with increased demand for services in children and adult social care and care for older people, reducing income levels and our ability to sustain basic local services for the citizens of the borough.
“Warrington is already poorly funded and in December it was announced that the drop in funding for 2014/15 would be 9.4 per cent, which equates to £32 per resident. The council has already made £28m savings over the past two years and still needs to find a further £50m over the next four years.”
Cllr Bowden said the council would be doing all it could to make savings through getting rid of inefficiencies, reorganising the way services were provided, seeking alternative ways to provide services , joining with partners and raising more income.
“However, the reality is that isn’t enough to deliver the savings target of £16.2m for 2014/15 and we must now make hard choices on whether to reduce o even stop some of our services altogether’
“We are looking at other innovative ways to invest in the town and reduce day to day costs and our extensive capital programme supports this by regenerating the town, encouraging new businesses and reducing unemployment. Indeed, Warrington continues to buck the trend seen throughout the rest of the country by increasing economic growth.
“By law, we need set a balanced budget and the one we have put together this year looks to sustain our priority and statutory services, protect our most vulnerable residents and grow the future of the town’s economy.”