Shepway Council's huge cuts to balance Council books

Shepway Council are proposing a net cut of £1.4 million to its total budget for the next and future financial years. There are cuts in budgets for new play equipment, provision of new bus shelters and skips, and huge increases in charges for Sandgate car parking.

With a total of £1.83 million in proposed revenue fund reductions, it is to be expected that there will be staff cuts in a number of service areas at the Council if the budget is accepted unamended. Fees and charges for services will also be raised across the board, and Council Tax is proposed to rise by 4.7% - close to the expected 5% capping limit.

Shepway Council's Corporate Scrutiny Committee was the first to see the proposals on Monday night, before being considered by Cabinet on 10 December, and then going on to full Council. Only the Liberal Democrats (Tim Prater and Val Loseby) did not vote for the budget proposals - all Conservative Councillor (Jan Holben, Philip Martin, Michael Lyons, Peter Gane) present voted for them.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Tim Prater, who Chairs the Corporate Scrutiny Committee (which has to be Chaired by a member of the opposition group), said:

"These may be the largest ever cuts to Shepway's budget - £1.4 million is over 7% of the total budget for the year. Even more alarmingly, even these savings are not enough for future years. To balance the next five years, the Council will need to find around another £400,000 of cuts or increased charges every year just to deal with the current priorities - let alone new ones!

"I simply couldn't vote for budget proposals that cuts front line services to local residents while still planning to put up Council Tax by 4.7%, or one that deals with Sandgate Council's efforts to keep free parking in their village in such a cavalier way.

"Sandgate Parish Council is paying Shepway around £5,000 a year for the Castle Road and Wilberforce Road Car Parks to be free to park. The Shepway proposals would either mean that rose to £30,000 per year - 50% of Sandgate's total budget - or that parking charges would be imposed in the car parks.

"Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised at the Conservatives any more, but even I was amazed to watch a Sandgate Councillor - Jan Holben - vote for budget proposals that could end any chance of free parking in Sandgate. How is that standing up for local people?"

The Budget Strategy 2009/10 to 2013/14 as seen by Corporate Scrutiny on Monday night and going to Shepway Cabinet on 10 December is at:

http://www.shepway.gov.uk/webapp/service/query/cads/doc/cabinet/Reports/rcabt20081210%20Budget%20Strategy%202009-10%20to%202013-14.doc?download=download

Appendices 1-4 of that report (listing cuts and growth items) are at:

http://www.shepway.gov.uk/webapp/service/query/cads/doc/cabinet/Other/rcabt20081210%20Budget%20Strategy%20Appendicies%201-4.xls?download=download