News from Westminster Labour

Westminster Conservatives to make £60m of cuts, hitting residents hard

Conservatives guilty of massive incompetence after parking income falls by £20 million – services to the elderly and children slashed; Hundreds of jobs to go; Charges to go up and new charges introduced.

Westminster Conservatives have revealed their plans to slash £60 million from the Council’s budget over the next three years in order to fill the £20 million a year black hole in the Council’s finances caused by the Council’s failure to accurately predict the amount of income they would get from parking charges and parking fines. Labour say that the Conservatives deliberately misled voters in May by refusing to reveal the extent of the cuts before the elections even though they knew how badly the cuts would hit front line services.

The Conservatives plan to cut £8.7 million in 2010/11; £24.1 million in 2011/12 and £26.5 million in 2012/13.

The £60 million of cuts come on top of the £5.7 million of cuts unveiled by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Government earlier this month.

In addition, Westminster residents face further cuts as a result of George Osborne’s Budget on Tuesday where massive cuts of up to 25% in public spending were announced.

The Westminster Council front-line service cuts and increased charges over the next 3 years include;

* £3.6 million cut from the Adult day care services that will mean that fewer adults will get the day care they need.

* £1.1 million increased charges for Adult services leading to only those who can afford to pay will get help.

* £1.6 million cut in Childrens Day Care and Early Years provision that will mean fewer day care places.

* £900,000 cut in Youth and Play Services which will lead to less for young people to do and an increase in anti-social behaviour.

* £950,000 cut in Family Centres and Services will mean less support for vulnerable families in need of help.

* £1 million cut in Library services, including fewer new books to be bought; CD purchases to be stopped and fewer staff in the libraries at weekend.

* £300,000 cut in Sports and Leisure provision, hitting young people hard.

* £1 million cut in Planning staff which will mean delays in getting planning applications dealt with.

* A new charge of £100 for residents to arrange a meeting to discuss a residential planning application.

* £2.5 million cut in street sweeping resulting in dirtier streets all over Westminster, particularly in residential streets.

* Scrapping of the Garden Waste Recycling Service to save £450,000, leading to less recycling.

* Increases in the cost of using public toilets by £1.5 million leading to more more people urinating in the street.

* £1.2 million from the Communication Budget leading to a very welcome cut in Council spin and propaganda.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said: “These latest £60 million cuts have nothing to do with and are in addition to the Government’s cuts. They are entirely the fault of Westminster’s Conservative Councillors who have so spectacularly ruined the Council’s finances that front line services will now be cut and will hit every single resident, whether they are young or old, in every part of Westminster.”

“Every street will be swept less, every person who visits a library will have less choice, elderly people will get fewer services and many will pay more and there will be less opportunity for young people to play sport. Using public toilets will cost more, there will be fewer day nurseries and less recycling. On top of this, the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Government has already cut a further £5.7 million from Westminster and there will be more cuts and job losses to come over the next 5 years.”

“The Conservative Councillors responsible for this financial fiasco are all in this mess together. They have brought the Council to its knees by their failure over many years to understand that you cannot run the Council’s finances based on unpredictable and unsustainable levels of parking fines and parking charges. The Conservatives should accept responsibility for their failure and resign.”

Other news from Westminster Labour

• Westminster Labour calls for an 'outbreak of democracy' over election of new council Leader - 2 February 2012
• West End Commission – open letter to Westminster's Chief Executive - 21 January 2012
• Residents pick up £1m bill for Westminster's parking fiasco - 19 January 2012