Cautious approach pays off for Tory authority

The Yorkshire Post revealed last year that the authority had been storing up money from previous budgets in preparation for the massive cut in funding expected from the Government this year.

This ‘war chest’ means that while the council still has to cut spending by £30m by 2015, it now has more leeway this year than many other authorities which have been hamstrung by the Governments decision to ‘front-load’ brutal spending cuts.

East Riding has therefore been able to continue a programme of short breaks for disabled children, which has been cut by many other authorities now Government funding has run out. The council has also found extra millions to spend on pot-hole repair for the area’s roads, at a time when many authorities are slashing road maintenance budgets heavily.

Several big cuts have been announced, however, with one day centre to close and mental health services for young people scaled back. Numbers of youth workers, education welfare officers and library assistants will all be reduced.

Libraries are likely to rely more on volunteers and lone workers, and plans are even being drawn up to relocate some libraries inside council-run leisure centres.

Leisure centres are likely to increase fees and charges, as are other council-run facilities. The authority will also scale back its maintenance of council-owned buildings, with surplus premises sold off altogether.

East Riding’s road safety and traffic management budget will be slashed by more than half a million pounds, including big cuts to the cycle training budget, and timetables removed from bus stops to save money.

And while the picture remains markedly brighter than in many other areas, opposition councillors claim cuts are merely being delayed for political reasons.

The authority has only announced 145 job losses so far, but last year launched a series of ‘business transformation programmes’ which have seen whole service areas such as transport and social care put under review.

Only £4m in savings have been identified by the reviews so far, meaning a further £10m must be uncovered over the coming months.

Labour councillors say the authority is holding back the worst announcements until after the local elections in May, when many Conservative and Lib Dem-led councils are expected to suffer as people punish the central Government for inflicting severe cuts on local authorities.

But the council insists identifying savings should not be rushed, and that its policy of storing up funds has bought it the time to consider the best long-term solutions to its reduced funding.