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Budget aiming for savings of £800k
A PLAN to save nearly £800,000 in Ryedale District Council’s budget will mean cuts in grants to a variety of groups and charges for services such as controlling rats.
It will also mean more job losses through voluntary redundancies and cuts in some services.
But the council is likely to accept a Government grant which will mean a freeze in the council tax for the coming year although this could lead to a shortfall after that.
The proposals drawn up by corporate director Paul Cresswell are due to go before the Policy and Resources Committee tomorrow and then the full council on February 20.
A Going for Gold efficiency programme was launched early last year when the estimated savings requirement for the coming year was £707,000 but the actual proposed total savings are put at £792,000.
This is made up from £628,000 in efficiency and budget reduction savings and £164,000 from cuts in grants and other steps such as reduced reception opening hours at Ryedale House, which would save £15,000, and reducing the Kirkbymoorside area office to just one day a week - a saving of £10,000.
There are also plans to introduce charges for using credit cards to settle accounts.
Funding for the Play Rangers scheme would cease saving £12,000 while £7,000 would be cut from the £27,000 grant to Ryedale Voluntary Action.
The museum and arts grants fund would see cuts ranging from 10 per cent to 80 per cent including Ryedale Festival losing £20,000, The Shed £2,832, Malton Museum £5,000, Ryedale Folk Museum and the Beck Isle Museum both losing £634, Helmsley Arts Centre £1,287, Pied Piper £1,391 and Live Music Now £257.
Ryedale Community Transport stand to lose £10,000 from its £50,000 grant. Support for sport development will lose £30,000.
A review of the Streetscene service could save £250,000 while voluntary redundancy savings could amount to £140,000 although no figures have been put on actual job losses.
Mr Cresswell says a small number of authorities may reject the Council Tax Freeze Grant from the Government - equivalent to a 2.5 per cent increase - because of the detrimental longer-term impact on council tax income after next year. The Government has confirmed that any increase in the tax above 3.5 per cent would only be allowed after a referendum.
Both North Yorkshire County Council and the Police have indicated they are likely to accept the grant.
Mr Cresswell says Ryedale continues to have a strong financial discipline but spending demands are increasing in several areas and there had been a trend in recent years for extra cost pressures, such as pay increases, the impact of meeting national targets and new duties and laws to significantly outweigh increases in Government funding and the national review of public sector pensions could impact on future costs.
An estimated pay increase of one per cent for staff has been included and future years are likely to see similar increases.
His report states: “In recognising the need to achieve such a scale of transformation the council needs to look closely at all areas of potential efficiency including partnership working, shared services, procurement, trusts and streamlining services.”
l Members of North Yorkshire County Council are to be recommended to freeze council tax for the second year running when they meet to consider the council’s budget on February 15 following a decision this week by the council’s Executive to recommend acceptance of a £6m Government grant. The council is having to find savings of £69 million over the next four years because of the Government’s spending review.
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