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COUNCIL CUTS
THE SENTINEL Tuesday November 22, 2011
The cuts in brief... Other cuts included in the city council’s £24 million savings plan include: Reviewing charges across the board could save £40,000 from the losses made by Northwood Stadium. Stoke Athletics Club faces an increase in the fees its pays.
People currently eligible for concessionary bus passes will no longer be able to travel free of charge before 9.30am within the city boundaries under a proposal which could save £100,000.
Wedgwood College and Conference Centre could close to save £28,000 per year and avoid a £160,000 subsidy. Ten posts will be made redundant as a result of the measure.
All remaining subsidy for home-to-school transport for faith schools could be axed. Transport costs for affected families would increase from £390 to £450 per year, per child. It will save £24,000.
Four dedicated town centre regeneration managers could be cut to save £77,000 while a further post will be left vacant. The council’s regeneration department would take on their work.
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‘We need to be bold – we need to save to invest’ UP TO £5 million of the cuts made to jobs and services in Stoke-on-Trent will be pumped back into attracting new business and private sector growth. Stoke-on-Trent City Council needs to save £18 million just to deliver a balanced budget. Its decision to invest £5 million in private sector growth means extra savings and job losses, and critics say the cuts are too deep as a result. But chief executive John van de Laarschot believes the investment is a crucial reflection of the changing role of local government and its need to attract more private sector jobs. The £5 million in savings which are to be reinvested will fund: ■ A drive to increase the number of foster carers in the city and provide better training for people with special needs; ■ Improvements to the road infrastructure around Etruria Valley and the completion of the city centre ring road to capitalise on the city’s transport links and persuade new businesses to set up; ■ Cash grants for independent traders in the city centre to smarten up their shop fronts; ■ A package of citywide public events and festivals to pull in visitors and tourists; ■ Expansion of the council’s inward investment team for negotiating with potential new businesses and an aggressive marketing campaign. Council leader Mohammed Pervez said the investment will help to promote private growth as the public sector continues to be decimated by cuts. But he acknowledged that some of the cuts needed in part to fund the investment will prove contentious. He said: “We have to work with the private sector to bring in jobs.
MAKING SAVINGS: John van de Laarschot and Mohammed Pervez.
van de Laarschot said tackling economic development was key to the city’s future prosperity. He added: “If we’re serious about the mandate for change we have to be bold and insightful – let’s save to invest, let’s put the money back into private job creation and enabling the private sector to be successful. “If you look at the issues we face here, the vast majority are tied into long-term unemployment. “Wider economic development can cure a lot of the ills we have in the city. “The role of councils used to be pretty clear. “As times have changed, with austerity measures and the focus on Big Society, we are more responsible within local communities. “It’s right and proper that the local authority should take the moral high ground and say that if we’re going to be responsible for our patch, we have got to take it seriously.” Notable cuts include the possible closure of care homes St Michael’s, in Chell, and the Meadows, in Bucknall, as well as day centres in Burslem, Shelton and Fenton. Waste collection could also be hit, while libraries face having their hours reduced and schools could be forced to pay for swimming sessions. Charities and the voluntary sector could be stripped of all but essential funding. Facilities like Ford Green Hall and Etruria Industrial Museum continue to face an uncertain future. Up to £2 million could also be saved from cutting employee terms and conditions like sick pay and allowances. And residents will have to deal
DRESSED in formal regalia and present at almost every civic event, Stoke-on-Trent’s 83 Lord Mayors have served as the public face of the city for three generations. But in budget cuts outlined by the city council for 2012/13, the historic position as the city’s First Citizen could be stripped of its ceremonial functions. The Lord Mayor would continue to act as chairman at full council meetings, but he or she would no longer perform civic visits and openings or host events. Axing the mayoral car, chauffeur, hospitality, allowances and secretary, who organises the mayor’s civic appointments, would help save £130,000 per year. But critics say the move is tantamount to abolishing the role of Lord Mayor. Current Lord Mayor Terry Follows, who has a packed diary and attends events almost every day, believes the move will not be supported by elected members. He said: “We have the only Lord Mayor in Staffordshire and it has a great tradition. “If we do away with the Lord Mayor we will look silly to the rest of the country. “We want to move forward as a city and promote it. One of the ways we do that is through the Lord Mayor. “The title was given to us by Royal decree in recognition of our services to industry. A PLACE IN “The fact that it has been HISTORY: included for discussion in From far left, the budget shows how Lord Mayors desperate we are in the Ron Southern city because of these at the official cuts.” opening of Deputy Lord Mayor Majid the old Tesco Khan would be the first in Hanley in member to lose the 1977; historic functions as he Horace Barks is due to take the in 1951; and chains next year. Alderman The title of Lord Mayor Albert was first conferred on Bennett, the City of Stoke-onpictured Trent by King George back in V in 1928. 1953. Now largely
with a leaner council with more than 1,000 fewer employees than it had in 2009. Despite the significant reductions in services, they could still be asked to pick up the bill for a significant tax rise to fund the changes. The first clue that Stoke-on-Trent City Council was minded to snub the Gover nment’s tax freeze incentive was reported by The Sentinel back in October. Finance chief Peter Bates and deputy leader councillor Paul Shotton raised concerns that freezing tax in the city would lead to financial problems in future years. The cash incentive offered last year made provisions for the knock-on loss
What you’ve got to say about proposed rise in council tax... Six jobs could go in a £200,000 cut from the authority’s annual spending on internal PR and communications. In-house print facility will be reviewed for further savings.
Vic Rawlingson, aged 66, of Shelton, said: “Nobody wants their tax bill to go up and I think the council should explore other options first because this won’t go down very well with anyone. “We’re all struggling at the moment and if Stoke-on-Trent City Council has looked at making all the cuts it can, maybe it should look at reducing staff wages.” Jim Gibson, aged 58, of Chell Heath, said: “The council is cutting staff and services left, right and centre, but is increasing the amount of money we need to pay. “I feel this is right out of order. I don’t care what anybody says
HAVING THEIR SAY: Vic Rawlingson, Jim Gibson, Alan Joinson, Andrew Ryder and Josh James. about us getting the same quality services, it’s just not true. “How can we when there are fewer staff – we are not getting value for money anymore.” Alan Joinson, aged 64, of Bentilee, said: “It’s diabolical. “The libraries are shutting and the leisure centres are shutting
and all because the council needs to save money. “We have lost all of our services and had things taken away from us and if you ask me, everything’s gone to pot. “The council has got to be making money somewhere along the line but still they want to make us residents pay more for a lesser service.”
THE SENTINEL Tuesday November 22, 2011
Stripping historic Lord Mayor’s role of its civic duties would help council pocket £130k a year
Council tax could rise, care services face cuts and hundreds more workers are to be made redundant. Alex Campbell reports on the impact of Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s £24 million cuts package - and its £5 million tonic for business. “If you just carry on cutting with absolutely no plans for the future, we won’t achieve this. “It’s crucial that we do everything in our power to attract inward investment, market Stoke-on-Trent in an a positive way and shout from the rooftops that we are open for business. “Jobs are the priority, and without this investment the city council’s Mandate for Change would just be words. “There are some tough choices to make and some of the proposals will be contentious to people. “There are cases where savings will be made in front-line services and in those cases our officers will do their utmost to minimise the impact. “We are going to protect the most vulnerable in our city, but clearly local government finances are going to get tighter and tighter and we need to ensure we promote a culture of using the resources we do have, to focus on those who are most in need. “It has been harder this year because £35.6 million in cuts are already being implemented. “The way the Government has approached its austerity measures has been basically to give Stoke-onTrent one of the worst settlements in the country.” Chief executive John
COUNCIL CUTS
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Andrew Ryder, aged 23, of Stoke, said: “I know the council needs to save money and that means they have to look at cutting as much as they can. “But if Council Tax can be frozen with help from the Government, I really don’t understand why the council wouldn’t want to go ahead and do that. “Everybody is struggling
financially and if they can help relieve some of the burden by keeping bills the same they should. It just seems pointless.” Josh James, aged 21, from Trentham, said: “The cost of living has been higher than it has ever been before and it is not just the council and big companies who need to make savings – it’s us residents as well. “How are young people or low earners supposed to cope with an increase in Council Tax at times like this? “Surely there has got to be another way of the council saving more money without it hitting us in the pocket.”
of future tax increases made from the current base rate. But this year’s offer from the Chancellor of the Exchequer is a oneoff grant. It means the council would need to impose a steep tax hike in future years to cover the freeze or, more likely, rises would be capped and the money would not be recouped. A rise of 3.5 per cent is favoured and would cost £26.68 for Band A properties, which account for more than 61 per cent of the city’s homes. Rising tax by 2.5 per cent would cost £19.06 and 4.5 per cent would mean an extra £34.31. Mr van de Laarschot believes tax may need to increase to fund the authority’s mandate for change ambitions. He said: “We’ve got to pay for it. To fund the whole amount you have to get into a serious conversation about council tax. “The offers put forward by the Government look fine on the surface. But when you dissect them all they really do is save up the problems for tomorrow. “The question is do we want to
inherit those problems next year or the year after, or do we want to address them pragmatically today.” Councillor Dave Conway, leader of the opposition City Independents, criticised the council’s proposals to rise tax and close care facilities. He added: “The Government’s response will be that it is has offered to pay for a tax freeze and this has been turned down, so don’t come to us and say you have no money. “The people of the city don’t have the money. It will not go down well. “And I thought they said they would protect children’s and adults services.” Mr Conway also said the consultation period, which runs until December 23 and is the only opportunity for the public to raise objections, is too short. He added: “By the time people have read the report there will only be one month left.” Councillor Abi Brown, Conservative leader, welcomed the investment in private sector growth.
LEADING ROLE: Former Lord Mayor Bill Austin. Main picture, current Lord Mayor Terry Follows with consort Jacqueline Pearson. ceremonial, previous Lord Mayors have played a major part in shaping the city. Potteries historian Fred Hughes said: “It is a conundrum. The question does need to be asked - does the role carry the same impact as it did in the past? “I’m in favour of the mayorality but there are question marks over the value it holds in times like these.” Notable former councillors to hold the title include Horace Barks in 1951, who created the city archives; Alderman Albert Bennett in 1953, who was knighted after spearheading regeneration in Burslem and Hanley; Ron Southern in 1977, who presided during the Queen’s silver jubilee, and Bill Austin in 1972 and 2001 who helped oversee Stoke-on-Trent becoming a unitary authority. Denver Tolley, who served as Lord Mayor in 2010-11, said: “The city needs to have a ceremonial head. “It is part of the city’s tourism, and the local people expect to have a Lord Mayor. “They like to see the Lord Mayor’s car pulling up and parked outside, and it is special for them when the Mayor attends. “It is special for the city. I had visitors from overseas in the parlour and they loved it. “We have the only Lord Mayor in Staffordshire and there are just 33 Lord Mayors in the country. For what it brings to the city, it really isn’t a lot of money.”
She said: “It is quite clear that there are a lot of very difficult decisions to be made this year. “I am pleased about the invest to save proposals because I have been pushing for more of that ever since I was on the council. “The administration would like to portray it all as resulting from Government cuts, but there are things like pay settlements for local government officers and interest on PFI deals which we would have to pay regardless of the Government. “I will be going through the proposals in detail to see if it’s the right sort of investments.” Mr van de Laarschot was also unable to rule out compulsory redundancies. He added: “We would hope there would not be compulsory redundancies and we have a comprehensive programme, but I can’t commit at this stage to saying there will not be any.” Unison branch secretary Colin Walton was unavailable for comment. The city council’s £35.6 million cuts programme for 2011/12 saw swimming pools in Tunstall and Shelton close
and 20 per cent cut from the children’s centre budget after plans to close several of the centres were aborted. Scores of low level funding schemes, including Christmas lights outside of Hanley and money for public shrubs, was also cut. More than 800 jobs were axed. A final decision on this year’s cuts package, including a decision on whether council tax will rise, will be made by the full council on the evening of February 23. Scrutiny committees will meet to discuss the proposals, and any objections raised, over the next two months. A special meeting of all councillors will be held early in February to discuss amendments to the planned savings. And the city council’s ruling Labour cabinet will meet on February 9 to consider any recommendations made about alterations to the savings plan.
Do you agree with Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s cuts programme? Email us at letters@thesentinel.co.uk Comment: Page 10
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In brief STONE: A man managed to escape from his burning home last night. Fire crews were alerted to the blaze at a block of flats in Lichfield Street, in Stone, at around 6.50pm from a concerned passer-by who spotted a man inside. A spokesman for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue service said: “A passer-by said she could see smoke coming out of a window at the property and that the male occupier was trapped inside. “Two crews from Stone and one from Stafford arrived to find that the occupant had managed to get himself out of the property.” The man was taken to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Firefighters left the scene just after 8.45pm. TALKE PITS: Fire crews were called to a property on Worcester Close after a caravan caught fire. The incident, which was reported at 2.30pm yesterday, was attended by firefighters from Sandyford and Newcastle. A spokesman for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Two hose heel reel jets were used to put out the fire, which had spread to a detached bungalow. It is believed the fire was caused by accidental ignition.” Crews left the scene shortly after 4.10pm. BADDELEY GREEN: David Hall, aged 49, of Hill View, Baddeley Green, denied a charge of wounding Joanne Sunter with intent to do her grievous bodily harm on September 2. But he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of unlawful wounding. However the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) did not accept the defendant’s pleas and Hall will have a trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in the week commencing January 23. He was bailed. TALKE PITS: The CPS has offered no evidence against Robert Craig. The 28-year-old, of Monument Road, Talke Pits, denied burgling a garden shed in Monument Road between April 14 and 27 and was due to have a trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court this week. But the CPS yesterday offered no evidence and Judge Paul Glenn entered a not guilty verdict. TUNSTALL: Gareth Cristini, aged 32, of Nash Peake Street, Tunstall, pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary. He also admitted aggravated vehicle taking on June 24, driving without insurance and without a licence on the same date. He will be sentenced at Stokeon-Trent Crown Court tomorrow.