Deep funding cuts but Council vows to rise to the challenge in protecting services

The funding announcement by the Department for Communities and Local Government has been described as challenging by East Lindsey District Council but the Authority remains firm that it will continue to do all it can to protect front line services to local people.

The announcement will mean Government funding to the District Council will reduce by around 12% in 2011/12 and by a further 10% in 2012/13.  This represents a £2.1m reduction in the Council’s revenue budget of £22m in 2011/12 and a further £1.5m reduction on top of this in 2012/13.  Although these headline figures have been published today the District Council is still waiting for clarity on a number of points.

The Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review on October 20, 2010, confirmed that over the next four years Government funding to Councils would decrease by 28%.  Until today it hadn’t been clear what the percentage reduction would be in the first and second years.

“Although the cuts are deep the challenge to us now is to become even more efficient and innovative in the way we deliver our services”, said the Leader of the District Council, Councillor Doreen Stephenson.  “We must ensure that every single penny that we spend represents the best value for money for local people. This means we need to work more closely with the public, private and voluntary sectors to look at opportunities for joint working in developing new ways to protect the services we know local people rely on. 

“We’ve been planning for reductions in Government funding for a number of years and we’re well positioned going forward.  Times are still going to be tough and we have some very difficult decisions to make in finding these further savings but we must rise to the challenge.”

In the past three years East Lindsey District Council has made efficiency savings already totalling £5m and in the past two weeks has announced a further £170,000 of savings through new ways of working in its refuse and street scene teams.  Also, the launch of the shared services company, Compass Point Business Services, with South Holland District Council, which will deliver East Lindsey residents a further saving of £19.357m over the next ten years.