Bin collections could be cut and school pools closed under Dundee City Council plans to help balance next year’s budget.
The local authority has unveiled a series of cost cutting options they say could save the city nearly £6m.
It comes a little over two weeks after a council report revealed the organisation was staring down the barrel of a £15.6m budget shortfall.
The report outlined Dundee City Council would be required to make savings from across areas including children and families services, city development and corporate costs.
Now, a fresh report has detailed the scope of possible cuts facing the local authority.
Range of cost cutting proposals
This includes reducing grey bin collections to once every three weeks. Food waste collections could also be cut to once every two weeks.
It’s also proposed burgundy bin collections be cut to once every four weeks.
Council chiefs say this would save the local authority £134,000 in 2025/26 and a further £268,000 the following year.
Dundee City Council is also looking at closing the pools at Baldragon, Grove and Harris academies and St John’s RC High School and St Paul’s RC High School.
If approved, this would come into effect from August 1 2025 and save Dundee City Council £620,000 over the next two years.
Other cost saving proposals include:
- Reducing the devolved school budgets in secondary schools by 1%
- Closing Ancrum Activity Centre
- Withdrawing summer opening hours at Baldovie and Riverside recycling centres
- Scrapping the seasonal lifeguarding service at Broughty Ferry beach
- Ending financial support for Dundee flights to London
- Removing city centre events budget, including Christmas lights provision
- Reducing number of wardens in place across the city
Public to have their say
In addition to the swathe of potential cuts, Dundee City Council is looking at reducing their workforce.
Raising additional income through initiatives such as leasing one or more floors in Dundee House on a commercial basis is also being considered.
Members of the public are being asked to have their say on the proposals in a four-week consultation expected to begin later this month.
The outcome of this will be shared with councillors before the Dundee budget is set in February.
Council leader Mark Flynn added: “I must stress that no decisions have been taken.
“What we need to do is listen to the views of people, to understand their priorities and any impacts that changes will have on them.
“The more people who take part, and the more detailed feedback given, the more informed our decision making will be.”
Conversation