A switch to bin collections every three weeks, a cut in school clothing grants and a five percent rise in council tax were among a raft of measures approved by cash-strapped West Dunbartonshire Council to plug a £21million gap.
At a full meeting of the local authority on March 1, the ruling Labour group also agreed to plans that could see community facilities – such as Napier Hall in Old Kilpatrick, Bonhill Community Centre in Ladyton and Brucehill’s West Dumbarton Activity Centre – moved into the hands of local groups.
This is despite fierce opposition from West Dunbartonshire Gymnastics Club, who warned that it could lead to their 550 strong membership being left without somewhere to train.
Funding for groups including West Dunbartonshire Citizens Advice Bureau and charity Y-Sort It will also be cut.
Under the bin plans, general waste bins will move from fortnightly to three-weekly collections, saving £50,000 for the first year then £150,000 each year after that. Recycling bins will be emptied fortnightly as normal.
The Labour group say they have protected around 210 full-time jobs by using more than £5m of council reserves, but stressed: ‘This is the equivalent of supporting around 210 full-time jobs but for one year only.’
In excess of 100 full-time roles could be cut across departments however, including in libraries, education and the Leisure Trust.
During the meeting one councillor remarked that it was: “The worst day in the history of West Dunbartonshire Council.”
Councillors did reject controversial proposals to cut the school week to four days, while breakfast clubs at primary schools were also spared the axe.
School pupils with caring responsibilities will have their Educational Maintenance Allowance topped up with an additional £10 per week to support them while they continue their studies, while more than £1m has been invested in a cost of living support package.
Money will also be invested in upgrading all 51 play parks across the area to make them more accessible. And Dumbarton East’s synthetic football pitch will be replaced at a cost of £220,000.
Cuts to footway gritting, free swimming lessons for P4 pupils and the removal of the elderly welfare grant were also rejected.
Labour members turned down an SNP amendment to put the savings proposals out for public consultation, with council leader Martin Rooney saying that would “leave key issues hanging in the air” – and SNP counterpart Ian Dickson slamming the administration “for being all about power and control.”
There was cross-party agreement on a five percent increase in council tax, however, meaning a 2023/24 band D charge of £1,398.98.
Finance chiefs estimate that the cuts will reduce WDC’s budget black hole (which sat at £21m in December) to around £9m, with Councillor Rooney saying that Labour are laying the groundwork for it to be closed entirely in 2024.
Further proposals approved by the administration last week include:
● Identifying options for co-locating Balloch Library within another building to save up to £130,000 annually.
● A 10 percent reduction in West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust funding, saving £416,000.
● Letting space within the council’s Church Street HQ for a coffee shop, which could generate up to £12,000 per year.
● Reduced opening hours at both public and school libraries, with the loss of five FTE roles to save £115,000 by 2024/25.
● Cutting three roles from the council’s contact centre to save £90,000 annually.
● Cuts to school learning assistants to save £49,000 by 2024/25.
● Reviewing the roles played by school clerical assistants, with the loss of five FTE roles to save £120,000 by 2024/25.
● Cuts to school greenspace budgets for maintaining ground, with the loss of four FTE roles to save £100,000.
● Removing six early learning and childcare officer roles to save £179,000 by 2024/25.
●Reduced funding for the council’s modern apprenticeships scheme by £50,000 to £200,000 annually.
● The axing of 13 roles within the council’s communities team to save £383,000 each year.
● A 25 percent cut in funding for Working4U, with the loss of 25 FTE roles to save more than £1.1m.
● A cut of £87,284 for West Dunbartonshire’s Citizens’ Advice Bureau.
● A £39,031 cut in funding for youth charity Y-Sort-It.
● Reducing the number of tenant liaison officers from four to two, saving £99,000 each year.
● An £11,000 cut in funding for community councils.
●Reduce the Provost’s hospitality fund by £9,000 to £26,000.
● Introducing a £100 annual fee for the council’s Care of Gardens scheme to generate an additional £211,000 annually, with the loss of eight FTE roles.
● A cut to weekend litter collections, with a focus on town centres and parks only to save £47,000 per year.
● A reduction in grasscutting and street cleaning, with no seasonal workers taken on for the summer months – saving £460,000 annually.
The Lomond member said: “It’s never easy having to make savings, as we know.
“As well as affecting services for our communities we’re also directly impacting on people’s jobs and livelihoods.
“We take our responsibilities very seriously and have explored every option and avenue to ensure that we strike the right balance.
“We have been faced with some impossible choices in order to deliver the balanced budget required by law. Unfortunately, we can only work with the money we have available and I want to reiterate that we have been put in this horrendous position by lack of fair funding from the Scottish Government.
“We know for many residents, council services are a lifeline and in setting the budget we have tried as far as possible to protect our most vulnerable.
“I know the decisions we have been forced to make today to deliver a balanced budget will be difficult to hear and we fully sympathise with our residents and employees who may be impacted by changes to service delivery. That is why it was essential for us to introduce measures which strengthen our existing offer of support to ensure residents and communities can access help with the cost of living.”
