FEARS GROW FOR FRONT-LINE SERVICES IN BRACKNELL

3.15.57pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st Jul 2010

Bracknell Forest Council must meet coalition pledges

Fears are growing that Conservative-dominated Bracknell Forest Council is going for the soft options in attempting to meet the Government's need for local authorities and other public bodies to reduce their budgets.

Social service staff have already been affected by the closure of day centres, the out-sourcing of day care services to individual agencies, a significant reduction in the supervision and management of sheltered accommodation and a shrinking community transport service.

Given a choice many council tax payers would prefer to see these services maintained and backroom staff and those employed in less needy positions take more of the share of any cuts. Why, for example, is the council still advertising for staff to present its science shows and be available for birthday parties! Why are contractors being hired to look through discarded food waste or re-set perfectly acceptable dropped kerbs?

The Coalition Government has made it clear that it expects local authorities to focus on eliminating waste and inefficiency and reducing overhead and administrative costs as much as possible. It does not want to see front-line services being unduly affected.

Liberal Democrats are therefore calling on local residents to tell them where they feel the Council is either wasting money or could make significant savings. These will be passed to the council and used to challenge any future budgetary decisions affecting cuts in front-line services (see above for contact details).

Commenting on recent statements by Cllr Bettison, Leader of the Council, former Lib Dem PPC for Bracknell, Ray Earwicker, said ' it was important that the coalition agreement should also succeed at local level. Mr Bettison's track record and that of the dominant Conservative Group did not inspire confidence and it would be essential to keep a close watch on their efforts to reduce expenditure.This would not be easy given their well known reluctance to open up or show any real transparency. '