Council working hard to protect frontline services
A COUNCIL boss has said they are working as hard as possible to protect services in the face of continuing financial pressures.
More than a third (36 per cent) of South Derbyshire District Council’s revenue comes from Government grants, but it has had to face up to losing around £1.25 million of this cash in the last two years.
Speaking at Swadlincote Area Forum, the authority’s chief executive Frank McArdle said: “We are squeezing the dry cloth even more to continue to provide the services rather than cut services.
“It’s a very difficult time for the whole country and we are not immune from that.
“We are stretching the money and we are trying not to cut the services that we hope you want.
“Without our partners we could not produce the tremendous amount of output for this district, and it does give a better quality of life for a smaller amount of your money.”
He said council tax revenues made up around 28 per cent of the council’s income. For a Band D property £150.25 goes to the district council — which works out at around £2.90 a week.
The council is currently considering a tax freeze for the second year running.
However, the Labour member for Church Gresley, Trevor Southerd, warned that the authority should consider raising council tax.
“If we don’t start doing that we lose that revenue in future years,” he said.
A document handed to residents at the meeting showed where the council’s cash would be spent in 2012/13. It included 31 per cent on waste collection and recycling, 22 per cent on management and central services, and 13 per cent on environmental health.
Planning (10 per cent), parks (nine per cent), leisure centres (eight per cent), and community support (seven per cent) make up the rest of the budget.
Mr McArdle said there was ‘some good news’ in the authority’s capital investment projects for the next year, which included the Melbourne Sports Partnership, Rosliston Forestry Centre and a refurbishment at Green Bank Leisure Centre.
