The scale of the cuts needed in Perth and Kinross Council have been laid bare in the budget proposals that will be put to councillors this week.
With an £8.9 million savings requirement for the coming year, councillors will be asked on Thursday to accept cuts that impact on services across the board.
The closure of recycling points and public toilets, reduction in street sweeping, the removal of swimming lessons for primary pupils, stopping free fruit for primary children, and reducing winter maintenance are among the suggested measures in the near 200-page document.
The provisional revenue budget of £329 million also contains no provision for any pay award for council staff next year.
Despite the obvious pain of cuts to the people of Perth and Kinross, the document says financial prudence by the council has left it in a better position than many other local authorities. A better than expected local government finance settlement, which also helped, was welcomed by council administration leader Ian Miller when it was announced.
“The outcome is, in my view, better than any of us in local government had hoped for,” he said at the time. “Although we still face a significant reduction in our funding, the impact of that will be less than many anticipated.”
As well as the savings of £8.9 million for 2011-12, the provisional budget reveals it will be looking to cut £5.7 million the next year and £8 million in 2013-14 a total of £22.6 million over three years.RedundanciesThe council has said it wants to introduce the savings while avoiding compulsory redundancies as far as possible. This has included leaving posts unfilled wherever possible.
The local authority has also consulted widely to identify the areas where the public felt cuts were most acceptable.
The detailed plans show additional funding of £15 million is available to maintain overall teacher numbers in the coming year. Included among the proposals are a reduction of community access to schools and revising opening hours for museums and libraries around the area.
More efficient use of assets and reduction in admin support and a 25% reduction in costs in ground maintenance contracts over three years is being suggested.
Small communities could be left counting the cost. Iit has been proposed that grant assistance provided to hall management committees in Muthill, Alyth, Kenmore Reading Rooms, Braco and Blairgowrie be axed, saving £6000 a year.
Schools would feel the impact through a reduction in the number of classroom assistants and school crossing patroller provision and the removal of the 10-week block of swimming lessons for all primary pupils could save £60,000 this year.ClosedPotentially 10 kids’ clubs out of 23 operated by the council could be closed, with staff being offered alternative employment though still with the possibility of redundancies.
The proposal contains the possibility of introducing charges for older people attending day care, which would incorporate meal and practical care tasks.
A saving of £135,000 could be made in 2011-12 by a reduction in green space maintenance through a 50% reduction in the frequency of verge cutting, 50% reduction in the frequency of street weed killing and stopping scrub cutting on the road network.
Closing six out of seven unattended public toilets (retaining the toilets at Perth bus station) and removing the supply of free portable toilet facilities for community events could save £204,000 over the next year.
Aberfeldy Caravan Park and the North Inch Golf Course will be reviewed if the proposals are accepted by councillors, as both have been making a loss for a number of years.
Cutting council-organised golf competitions and bowling green maintenance would save money but put the onus on club members, according to the report.
The measures will be debated at a special council meeting in the council chambers on Thursday afternoon.