Opposition at South Lanarkshire Council demand details of ‘Dickensian’ cuts

In previous years the council released details of how it plans to close its budget gap in December to allow a full consultation to take place in good time.

This year, the SNP-controlled council is keeping the options for cuts under wraps until January. Its current budget consultation does not reveal any specific savings proposals.

Opposition councillors believe the options will be so severe that there must be the fullest consultation with the public, starting immediately.

Labour group leader Councillor Joe Fagan said: “There is no good reason for withholding this level of information at this stage.

“The usual confidential briefings have taken place and now it’s time for the council to place its proposals in the public domain so that we can all see what the community thinks. There is no reason to delay publication into the New Year.

“Labour are pressing for budget transparency at South Lanarkshire Council. It is not in the interests of the community at all that Dickensian cuts should be kept from the public.

“We are demanding that Savings Options are published in full and that the administration allow a proper, informed consultation to begin.”

The council’s Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Resources, Paul Manning, responded: “The reason why savings options have yet to be published is very straightforward – the entire budget process has been delayed this year due to Covid.

“While we normally receive details of our grant from the Scottish Government in December, this year we will not get the detail of the local government settlement until January 28.

“All members were made aware of this several weeks ago and were advised that it may be prudent to bring the savings options to the Executive Committee in the New Year. We expect to hold a meeting in January and, as normal, the papers for that meeting – including savings options – will be published a week before that date.

“An initial consultation is currently underway seeking views on our approach to the 2021/22 budget, and this will be followed by a second phase of consultation on specific options once they are published.”

For more information visit www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/info/200170/comments_complaints_and_consultations/1565/budget_savings_proposals.