West Lothian residents have until Sunday to have their say on how the council spends its money in the face of a £38m budget cut.
Tough choices have to be made as the council faces an ongoing funding squeeze, and it is encouraging residents to take part before the consultation closes.
The significant budget challenges over the next five years mean the council will have to change the way it delivers some services
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This first phase in a series of planned community engagement exercises has been running for more than a month. The council hopes that it will provide insight into how the priorities of residents are balanced with the council’s ability to provide services with less funding.
Graham Hope, Chief Executive of West Lothian Council, said: “This is an important opportunity to have a say on local priorities and influence council services in West Lothian.
“The views of our customers matter to us and through our WL 2028 – Your Council, Your Say community engagement programme feedback will help shape the services that matter most to people and communities in the years ahead.”
As with all councils in Scotland, over the next five years West Lothian Council won’t have the financial resources to deliver the same level of services that they provide now. That means that local services will have to change and be delivered in a more sustainable way.
Faced with insufficient funding and increasing costs since 2007, West Lothian Council has been forced to make over £150 million of savings. From 2023 to 2028, the council is expecting further reductions in real terms funding from the Scottish Government with an estimated £38 million of budget reductions required to balance the budget over the next five years – something the council is legally required to do.
Graham Hope added: “Before changes to local services are considered, we want to re-evaluate what customer’s priorities are and this is the first phase in a series of planned community engagement exercises that will inform us on the future direction of council services. Feedback received will be used to help us meet the challenges ahead and provide us with an insight into what it is local residents want their local services to look like in the future.”
The consultation closes on 31 July. You can take part online at www.westlothian.gov.uk/WL2028
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