WARRINGTON Borough Council has got to save £50 million by 2013 – and it is looking to local people for ideas on how to save money.
The current budget is just under £140 million and officers and councillors are looking for “radical ideas” that will save substantial sums of money.
They say that like many other public bodies, during the next few years, the council will have to make major changes to the way it works.
A spokesman said: “We have already got ideas about how to save nearly £30 million including delivering some services in a different way and making better use of the resources we have got.
“We now need you to help us find ways to save the remaining £20 million and we want to hear and understand your views and concerns before making any decisions.”
The council has launched a “make every penny count” budget consultation and wants local people, council employees, partners and businesses to take part.
People can fill in feedback postcards available at Contact Warrington, libraries and council receptions.
Alternatively people can go online at www.warrington.gov.uk and follow the penny to more information, the forum and budget simulator, or send comments by email to [email protected]
Feedback will be considered as the council puts together its official budget proposals. These proposals will then form the second, more formal and detailed part of the consultation due to take from December this year through to end of January 2011.
Coun Paul Campbell, (right) the council’s executive member for finance, efficiency and improvement, said: “We know it’s a tough time for families, individuals and businesses but through an extensive public consultation we want to gauge what residents feel we can afford to no longer support but also what they want us to continue to spend money on.
“We are not in a unique situation. Every local authority across the country needs to look at ways to save money.”
Help the council save £20m
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
8 Comments
Reduce the number of councillors and get rid of the officers who live out of town and employ local people who CARE about the town. Get rid of the Highways dept. who seem to invent ways of wasting money on creating traffic jams.
I agree with the proposal to reduce the number of councillors but think you might find it hard to get rid of officers who live out of town – unless you believe there’s some magical supply of people with all the different skills, talents and experience to do all the different jobs the council has, who only come from within a WA postcode, and who only want to work in Warrington rather than commute to other nearby cities for better pay and greater opportunities. As for what you seem to be suggesting, that it is only local people who can care about the place they work in, well, I’ve seen enough people who were born and bred in Warrington who don’t seem too bothered about making any positive contribution to their town.
Lights proposed at Warrington Collegiate – cost £6m. Only £14m to go.
Never knew about the proposal for getting rid of the roundabout and putting in lights (along with altering the road layout etc) near the college. So much for the consultation eh. Seems ridiculous to remove the existing bus stop lay-bys and have ‘on carriageway’ bus stops instead considering the number of stops that have to be made near the college. Wont it increase congestion of busses are stopping on the carriageways etc etc ?????
see…………http://www.warrington.gov.uk/images/A49%20leaflet_tcm15-40742.pdf.
SO POSSIBLY A GOOD SUGGESTION FOR SAVING SOME MONEY like A Rowland rightly says as £6 million is a ridiculous amount to spend on changes that may not work 🙁
ALL Lights on roundabouts should go…save money, save electricity, save environment.. the only reason the traffic flow on the roundabout at the college is bad is because they put lights on the roundabout…their solution, get rid of the roundabout !!! slaps head
It’s not the pennies I worry about, it’s the millions of pounds that are being wasted!
For example, planning permissions etc, a certain councillor keeps on ignoring the sound advice given by the planners and ask for it to be taken to appeal then still lose…what a waste of time and money!
Important front line staff being made redundant or reduced, then jobs being advertised in other departments to shuffle paper!
The whole exercise is a waste of money. The arrogant councillors will not listen to a word we say anyway
I concur with comments about traffic lights in place of certain roundabouts. It made the westbrook Asda roundabout a nightmare. 3 inbound roads are worse off to help 1 close of houses quicker access. This has added to global warming and £1.25m spent. Do they not learn. A suggestion and lower cost solution would be to make the roundabout smaller to facilitate wider lanes, it is a bit tight on that RB.
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