Children the losers as cuts axe falls

Published: 28 May 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

CHILDREN are most likely to lose out under a possible £6million government-imposed cut in the Town Hall budget, Labour’s finance chief said this week.

While the council was expecting to be told to tighten its belt, Councillor Richard Greening admitted it had not expected the cut – announced by Lib Dem Chief Treasury Secretary David Laws on Monday – to come into effect in this financial year.

Although SureStart centres for under-fives will be protected, the new Labour regime at the Town Hall will have to prune £6million from children’s, adult and mental health social services.

Programmes at risk could include teenage pregnancy support, free swimming schemes, a young persons’ substance misuse scheme and the youth crime action plan.

Funding for carers and the council’s environment budget will face the squeeze.

Cllr Greening said: “Children’s services are now at risk. The government has started by cutting services which support the most vulnerable members of the community. We’re determined to do everything we can to stop that and take money out of other lower-priority areas. It’s inevitable that we’re going to have to make unpopular decisions.”

But the council will plough ahead with plans to build thousands of new council homes – a key Labour manifesto pledge.

Cllr Greening has admitted that, although the ruling party objects to selling off public property, he could not rule out disposing of council-owned offices to fund important schemes. 

He said: “We need to look at a balance between prudent borrowing and selling off assets. I don’t like selling off assets because they need to be preserved for the future but we’re in the position where we may not be able to avoid it. If we can manage without council offices then I’m not that concerned. I certainly don’t wish to sell off any council homes.”

As reported in the Tribune last week, the remaining schools awaiting refurbishment under the Building Schools for the Future programme are under threat. 

Cllr Greening said there may not be enough money to renew Finsbury Leisure Centre, Ironmonger Row Baths and Sobell Leisure Centre. The Sobell needs to be refurbished, he said, but “the grandiose project envisaged by the Lib Dems isn’t going to happen”.

Already Town Hall chief executive John Foster has ordered that a case must made to justify filling council vacancies.

Cllr Greening said more council staff would be moved into new offices in Newington Barrow Way, Finsbury Park, potentially freeing up office buildings which can then be sold. He added: “Next month we’ll be conducting a line-by-line review of the books to look for areas where we can make cuts.”