Transport executive and councils face huge budget cuts

AMONG those feeling the pinch in South Yorkshire are the county's transport chiefs, who have been left facing a huge 19 per cent cut in Government funding.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Jun 2010, 11:51 BST
Updated 11th Jun 2010, 11:51 BST

South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) has been told the 2.44m area-based grant it currently receives will be slashed by almost 500,000.

SYPTE director David Brown said: "Of course we are disappointed, although we have been preparing for reductions for some time and we understand the need to rebalance the public finances.

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"Clearly the figures have just been announced and so it will take some time to work through their full implications.

"We have already requested meetings with Government to talk through these announcements but, until we have to chance to have those discussions, we are not in a position to say which schemes will be affected."

Meanwhile, Sheffield Council chiefs must find savings of 6.5m – one per cent of its Government funding. They will be working with councillors to decide which budgets to cut.

Council chief executive John Mothersole said: "There may be further funding cuts but we will get that detail later. The 6.5m only covers revenue grants, so we are still waiting to hear whether any of our capital budgets have suffered reductions.

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"The real challenge will be managing the major reductions in funding anticipated from 2011 onwards which, although we are expecting some indications in the Government's emergency budget on June 22, we do not expect to get the detailed implications for Sheffield before the autumn spending review."

Funding has also been cut by 2.75m in Barnsley, 2.41m in Rotherham, 160,000 in Chesterfield and 20,000 at Bassetlaw District Council.

Rotherham Council chief executive Martin Kimber said that yesterday's announcement had "obviously come as no surprise."

"Yes, this will be difficult. However, it is nothing new as the authority has – in recent years – been making significant efficiency savings as part of the economic downturn."

Meanwhile, council chiefs in troubled Doncaster must try to implement savings of 4.53m.

Finance chief Steve Mawson, said: "We are looking at the impact this will have on the council."

Related topics:South YorkshireDavid BrownGovernment