Council to axe £1.25 million from frontline services

THERE will be cuts to theatres, toilets, road safety and services for vulnerable people as West Berkshire Council looks to save £5.63m from its budget in 2014/15.
A total of £1.25m will be slashed from frontline services and the council will lose 34 posts which it estimates will save £1m a year going forward.
More than £500,000 will be removed from the support for disabled children, supporting people in need of care and services to vulnerable young people budgets.
The full scale of the proposed cuts were announced yesterday as part of the council’s plan to combat a £4m reduction in central government funding.
The price of parking on a Sunday in Newbury will rise from £1 to £1.50 per day - just weeks after controversial plans to introduce on-street parking charges in the town were approved despite strong opposition.
However, leader of the council Gordon Lundie defended the cuts, saying: “I do not think any particular group will be disproportionately affected.
“People will without doubt be affected but we have worked hard to ensure the impact is not significant.”
The council will still reduce the Corn Exchange’s funding by 45 per cent – but have agreed to spread the cuts over five years instead of two.
It plans to charge for using public toilets at the Wharf and Pembroke Road in Newbury – but was unable to say how much.
Rural bus services are still under threat from closure or reduced services – with the council asking many parishes to pick up the costs.
However, the tourist information centre in Newbury has been spared closure – with the district council agreeing to fund more than half the costs required to keep it open.
The council will not withdraw its £16,000 funding for eight school crossing patrols – with Mr Lundie admitting a public petition to ‘save’ a 74-year-old lollipop lady from potential redundancy had a “big impact” on the decision.
For the full story and reaction to the proposed cuts, pick up a copy of today's