Council making good progress towards tough savings targets

Completion of work to save around £85 million over three years is moving on apace as councillors consider proposals for cuts in spending by Shropshire Council. 

Cost reductions of £42 million will have already been made by March 2012 and, in addition to this, Shropshire Councillors have already agreed a raft of savings totalling £10.5 million in 2012/13 and £6.4 million in the next year (2013/14).  Now further proposals are being considered which would save an extra £9.3 million in 2012/13 and £14.3 million in 2013/14, to complete the total savings to be made by the council.

The report being considered by Cabinet next week (Wednesday 8 February 2012) includes an agreement to freeze council tax for the next financial year, which would mean there has been no increase in council tax for Shropshire taxpayers for three consecutive years.

The savings cover a range of council service areas, including improvements in adult social care services, renegotiating IT contracts, and a review of the effectiveness of the public protection service.  Detailed plans to put the changes required in place during this year are also outlined in the Cabinet report, and consultation will take place on these, if there is any major impact on people currently using the services.

Council leader, Keith Barrow, said:

“Like all councils up and down the country we are having to deal with unprecedented funding cuts from central government but, unlike some councils, we are not making mass redundancies or proposing major cuts to frontline services.  Instead, we are working creatively to provide services in a different way, which not only saves money but will often result in better outcomes for local people.  For example, we are finding better ways to help older people live independently in their own homes for longer, rather than them needing residential care.

“There is a still a lot of work to be done as we work to put in place all our savings targets, but we are making good progress.”

Chief executive, Kim Ryley, said:

“We are about halfway towards our target of saving £85 million and the council has recently been praised by the Audit Commission for our approach to managing well this major reduction in our spending.  2012 is likely to be an important year of transition, as we start to visibly introduce new ways of working, whilst keeping the high quality of what we provide for local people.  This will be the only way we can meet the demands and preferences of our residents, whilst keeping our costs as low as possible.”