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Showing posts with label council cuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label council cuts. Show all posts
Friday, 2 March 2012
Front page protest against Labour doing ConDems dirty work
Thursday, 9 February 2012
A great edition of the Brent and Kilburn Times
Lobby against this budget which hits children and the vulnerable
You can download a copy of this leaflet to run off and distribute yourself HERE
Brent Council's budget setting meeting to decide expenditure and cuts for 2012 - 2013 is at 7.00 pm on Monday February 27th. Brent Fightback is calling a lobby outside the Town Hall from 6.30 pm.The above leaflet can be used to alert people to some of the drastic and damaging cuts that are being proposed. It can be used to encourage people to join the lobby
Please download the leaflet and e-mail to anyone you think may be interested in joining us.
As well as the cuts detailed in the leaflet, there will be deep cuts to the budgets of every single Council department and increases in charges. For example, there will be cuts in the Council's services to schools (organising admissions, support for children with special needs,training etc) but schools will be charged more for using these services. The £500 cut for services to children at risk includes a review of children's centres coverage which will see a reduction to the range of children offered support.
The demolition of Willesden Green Library Centre and its replacement in 2014 with a Cultural Centre will be discussed by the Council's Executive on Monday 13th February. Many people are concerned that the original 1894 Library building (which now houses the Brent Irish Advisory Service) will be demolished and that the Cultural Centre will definitely not include space for the Willesden Bookshop. these decisions appear to have been made on the basis of a "consultation" that consisted of two meetings, one attended by seven people, the other by five! Brent Council obviously cherishes its reputation for full, democratic consultation. supporters of the Old Library and the magnificent Willesden Bookshop will be at the lobby. There are online petitions for both the Old Library and the bookshop. Please sign them if you haven't already and pass on the details to others:
For the Old Library: HERE
For the Willesden Bookshop: HERE
There are people suggesting that Ann John should stripped of her OBE for disservices to literacy. The leader who brought us the Transformation of our libraries by triumphantly closing half of them - because apparently we can now buy books at ASDA - now appears happy to see the demise of a bookshop that provides an invaluable service to schools, stocks a variety of books you won't ever find in ASDA and nurtures the talent of local authors.
Who runs Brent Council? There was a strong feeling at the last Fightback meeting that our Councillors are far to ready to follow the lead of the officers without question. This was equally true of the previous LibDem/Tory administration. We elect our councillors to represent us and to act in the best interests of the people of Brent, to provide and defend services that meet their needs. Council officers should be there to advise, to provide the information on which decisions are made, but democratically elected councillors, not unelected officers should run the council and they should be accountable to the people through genuine consultations.
Brent Fightback blog and Facebook page: Brent Fightback now has a blog www.brentfightback.blogspot.com to give more details of matters raised in these emails and keep up to date with cuts and the campaigns against them. We also have a Facebook page www.facebook.com/brent fightback and as always you can contact us by email at brentunited@gmail.com.
Monday, 6 February 2012
Cuts pile up in new Brent budget
Having summarised the savings (a mixture of cuts, 'efficiencies' and increased charging) in Children and Families Services which amounted to £3,216,000 I now turn to other service areas. Note some relatively minor items are not included but totals are for ALL savings within a department.
ADULT SOCIAL CARE
Brent Council's favourite word 'Transformation' comes up here in changes to commissioning and procurement through redesign of services giving a saving of £1,223k, by far the largest amount. Changes in transport eligibility 'encouraging independent travel to day care provision' will save £43k, stooping paying Inner London weighting £108k. Closure of day services for learning disabilities and consolidation into John Billam Resource Centre and redesign of the service model will save £433k and commissioning via Phase 1 of the One Council programme a further £402k. Alongside other savings these amount to £2,613,000 with a further £2,200,000 expected in 2013-14 through integration with NHS services although the report notes 'any 'costs resulting are currently not known).
These headings are not very specific and we can expect the details of what they mean on the ground to only emerge on implementation. A key issue will be consultation and whether it will have any effect if the budget has already been agreed.
Total Savings 2012-13: £2,613,000
ENVIRONMENT AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES
The largest item here is £1,357k for Waste and Recycling through a number of factors including renegotiation with Veolia, increased use of the Seneca (Careys) Materials Recycling Facility and reduction in waste disposal costs with increased diversion from landfill. In addition further savings are anticipated in 2014-15 following retendering of the waste management and street cleansing contract currently held by Veolia.
Reductions in highways maintenance will save £100k, maintenance of Vale Farm £25k (but the Council may have to pay money to bring it up to standard for a new contractor).
'The full effects of 2011/12 saving' on libraries is put at £408k.
The possibility of parks service privatisation appears under the heading of Grounds Maintenance with a reduction in the level of grounds maintenance in parks and open spaces and a promise to 'review options fort delivering grounds maintenance int he future'. This gives a saving of £200k in 2012-13 and £100k in 2013-14. A re-organisation of Transport Services will net £100m and not filling school crossing patrol vacancies £30k this year and £40k for the next two years. Retendering process produced a saving of £75k on street trees with 'no loss of service' and cost saving on the parking contract is put at £200k this year and £300k next. Reductions in management and staff restructuring produces savings of £183k and even the dead don't escape with increased fees for cemeteries alongside sports facilities and parks £40k. (Listed in Appendix D(vi) )
Total Savings 2012-13: £3,259,000
REGENERATION AND MAJOR PROJECTS
'Transformation' rears its head again under 'One Council Housing Needs Transformation Project. There is no detail but it gives savings of £1,670k in 2012-13 and another £1,310k in 2013-14. Similarly changes in 'Supporting People' budget produces savings of £900k 2012-13 and another £900k in 2013-14. There is a claim that prices for contracts can be reduced with 'significant impact on users' and that tjhis will be achieved through 'closing under utilised and unpopular shared houses or reducing the number supported through floating support'. Savings of £530m are suggested for a property review: 'getting out of buildings early' which I presume is linked to the Civic Centre.
There are many other items under this heading but the main ones are included above:
Total Savings 2012-13: £1,781,000 (2013-14 £2,440,000)
FINANCE AND CORPORATE/CENTRAL SERVICES
Full year effect of 2011-12 savings through staffing and structure review £269k
Full year effect of ending Inner London Weighting £54k
Savings in human resources through London project Athena £100k 2013-14 £260k
Reorganisation of Customer Services (Finance and Corporate) £300k
Reorganisation of Customer Services (Community and Customer Engagement) £66k
Reduced running costs of Chief Executive's Office £25k
Total Savings 2012-12: £855,000
In addition savings of £1,000k are indicated in 2013-14 and 2014-15 for review of business costs in moving to the Civic Centre
CENTRAL ITEMS
ONE COUNCIL PROGRAMME
Employee Benefits Project (savings allocated to service areas) £255k
Future Customer Services £150k 2013-14 £149k
Rents and Services Charges (savings allocated to service areas) £229k
Fundamental Review of Youth Service £100
Total Savings 2012-13: £734,000
In addition savings are indicated for future years:
Civic Centre 2013-14 £2,000k, 2014-15 £1,000K, 2014-15 £500k
Reduced contract prices 2013-14 £750k, 2014-15 £750k, 2015-16 £500k
Increased contract compliance - ditto-
If any readers can shed light on the impact of any of the above I would be happy to publish your comments.
ADULT SOCIAL CARE
Brent Council's favourite word 'Transformation' comes up here in changes to commissioning and procurement through redesign of services giving a saving of £1,223k, by far the largest amount. Changes in transport eligibility 'encouraging independent travel to day care provision' will save £43k, stooping paying Inner London weighting £108k. Closure of day services for learning disabilities and consolidation into John Billam Resource Centre and redesign of the service model will save £433k and commissioning via Phase 1 of the One Council programme a further £402k. Alongside other savings these amount to £2,613,000 with a further £2,200,000 expected in 2013-14 through integration with NHS services although the report notes 'any 'costs resulting are currently not known).
These headings are not very specific and we can expect the details of what they mean on the ground to only emerge on implementation. A key issue will be consultation and whether it will have any effect if the budget has already been agreed.
Total Savings 2012-13: £2,613,000
ENVIRONMENT AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES
The largest item here is £1,357k for Waste and Recycling through a number of factors including renegotiation with Veolia, increased use of the Seneca (Careys) Materials Recycling Facility and reduction in waste disposal costs with increased diversion from landfill. In addition further savings are anticipated in 2014-15 following retendering of the waste management and street cleansing contract currently held by Veolia.
Reductions in highways maintenance will save £100k, maintenance of Vale Farm £25k (but the Council may have to pay money to bring it up to standard for a new contractor).
'The full effects of 2011/12 saving' on libraries is put at £408k.
The possibility of parks service privatisation appears under the heading of Grounds Maintenance with a reduction in the level of grounds maintenance in parks and open spaces and a promise to 'review options fort delivering grounds maintenance int he future'. This gives a saving of £200k in 2012-13 and £100k in 2013-14. A re-organisation of Transport Services will net £100m and not filling school crossing patrol vacancies £30k this year and £40k for the next two years. Retendering process produced a saving of £75k on street trees with 'no loss of service' and cost saving on the parking contract is put at £200k this year and £300k next. Reductions in management and staff restructuring produces savings of £183k and even the dead don't escape with increased fees for cemeteries alongside sports facilities and parks £40k. (Listed in Appendix D(vi) )
Total Savings 2012-13: £3,259,000
REGENERATION AND MAJOR PROJECTS
'Transformation' rears its head again under 'One Council Housing Needs Transformation Project. There is no detail but it gives savings of £1,670k in 2012-13 and another £1,310k in 2013-14. Similarly changes in 'Supporting People' budget produces savings of £900k 2012-13 and another £900k in 2013-14. There is a claim that prices for contracts can be reduced with 'significant impact on users' and that tjhis will be achieved through 'closing under utilised and unpopular shared houses or reducing the number supported through floating support'. Savings of £530m are suggested for a property review: 'getting out of buildings early' which I presume is linked to the Civic Centre.
There are many other items under this heading but the main ones are included above:
Total Savings 2012-13: £1,781,000 (2013-14 £2,440,000)
FINANCE AND CORPORATE/CENTRAL SERVICES
Full year effect of 2011-12 savings through staffing and structure review £269k
Full year effect of ending Inner London Weighting £54k
Savings in human resources through London project Athena £100k 2013-14 £260k
Reorganisation of Customer Services (Finance and Corporate) £300k
Reorganisation of Customer Services (Community and Customer Engagement) £66k
Reduced running costs of Chief Executive's Office £25k
Total Savings 2012-12: £855,000
In addition savings of £1,000k are indicated in 2013-14 and 2014-15 for review of business costs in moving to the Civic Centre
CENTRAL ITEMS
ONE COUNCIL PROGRAMME
Employee Benefits Project (savings allocated to service areas) £255k
Future Customer Services £150k 2013-14 £149k
Rents and Services Charges (savings allocated to service areas) £229k
Fundamental Review of Youth Service £100
Total Savings 2012-13: £734,000
In addition savings are indicated for future years:
Civic Centre 2013-14 £2,000k, 2014-15 £1,000K, 2014-15 £500k
Reduced contract prices 2013-14 £750k, 2014-15 £750k, 2015-16 £500k
Increased contract compliance - ditto-
If any readers can shed light on the impact of any of the above I would be happy to publish your comments.
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