Finding savings is now “increasingly critical” for councils dealing with ongoing reductions in funding, says the Accounts Commission in a report published today. Continue reading Decisive leadership needed as council savings “increasingly critical”
Tag: council services
Silent Slaughter: Capital braced for more council cuts
Another £3 million to be cut – but Council Tax set to rise again
“That’s the real effect of cuts. In local government, you cut the people, you cut a service.”
Council tax will go up and leisure services will be cut under the city city council’s budget proposals for the coming year. The SNP – Labour ‘Capital Coalition’ administration says no jobs will be lost, but service cuts are inevitable despite a better than expected Scottish Government settlement. Trade unions say council services are being ‘silently slaughtered’ and year on year cuts threaten the council’s ability to meet its statutory duties. Continue reading Silent Slaughter: Capital braced for more council cuts
North West Locality: all will become clear!
A little piece of civic history was made last week when the first ever meeting of North West Localities Committee was held in the City Chambers on 9 February. It was at times a complex and complicated meeting but it’s set the council on a course of new ways of working with partners. Continue reading North West Locality: all will become clear!
A make or break Budget for local services
Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has said his priority is to build Scotland’s future as he prepares to present his second Draft Budget to Parliament on Thursday. Councils across the country are braced for further cuts and it’s a ‘make or break’ Budget for local services. Continue reading A make or break Budget for local services
Take your seat for Budget Question Time
“We have a strong track record of effective financial management” – Cllr Alisdair Rankin Continue reading Take your seat for Budget Question Time
Councils spell out #BudgetReality
Local government umbrella body COSLA is to launch a social media campaign entitled #BudgetReality which will lay out in detail the real budget Councils have been given for next year. The campaign will also highlight the impact of this reduction in specific service areas. Continue reading Councils spell out #BudgetReality
Council services: have your say at Question Time
Residents are being encouraged to attend a Question Time event being organised by the City of Edinburgh Council as part of wider engagement about changes to Council services.
Taking place in the City Chambers on Thursday, 10 November (7.15–8.30pm), the event is part of a seven week engagement period, asking people to play their part by giving their views through various channels including an online survey and dialogue page where residents can speak to other people in their local area.
The engagement period which started on Friday 30 September ends on Friday 18 November.
The event is being run in partnership with the Edinburgh Evening News for the third year running and will be chaired by Euan McGrory, Deputy Editor of the Evening News, Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday. Residents who are unable to attend can watch via the Council’s webcasting service.
Those attending will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance or ask questions on the night, which will be answered by a panel of six senior councillors. The panel will include Council Leader Cllr Andrew Burns; Deputy Leader Cllr Frank Ross; Finance and Resources Convener Cllr Alasdair Rankin; Culture and Sport Convener, Cllr Richard Lewis; Transport and Environment Convener, Cllr Lesley Hinds and Health and Social Care Convener, Cllr Ricky Henderson.
Cllr Alasdair Rankin, said: “We have an increasing population, inflationary pressures, decreased budgets and greater demand for our services so it is really important that we get residents’ views on how we can more efficiently deliver services.
“We’ve had an excellent response to our Question Time event over the last two years and I would encourage residents to attend and take the opportunity to have their questions answered about our services in person.
“Of course, for those that can’t make it, they can tune in live and ask questions, via the Council’s website.”
Last year’s event was well attended with an additional 237 tuning in live via our webcast and was subsequently watched by 3,759 people via the archive.
Further information on wider engagement:
Social media – use the #playyourpart
Email – playyourpart@edinburgh.gov.uk
Phone – 0131 200 2305 (8.30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 3.40pm Friday)
Write – Freepost, RSJC-SLXC-YTJY, Budget, Council Leader, City Chambers, High Street Edinburgh EH1 1YJ
Edinburgh: Shiny happy people?
Vast majority of Edinburgh’s citizens ‘satisfied with life here’
Satisfaction with Edinburgh as a city to live in is the highest it’s ever been, according to the city council’s latest annual residents’ survey. Continue reading Edinburgh: Shiny happy people?
Total Craigroyston checks out
What’s Total Craigroyston ever done for this community? Well, quite a lot, actually …
Total Craigroyston, the council-led agency formed to tackle deep-rooted children and family problems in North Edinburgh, wound up last week with a ‘Checking Out’ event at Pilton Youth & Children’s Project. Continue reading Total Craigroyston checks out
An inconvenience truth
North Edinburgh to loo-se public lavatories?
Toilets at Granton Square and Canonmills are among a dozen public conveniences earmarked for possible closure by the city council. Local residents are being encouraged to take part in a survey to have their say about the closures.
The Council decided in 2011 to reduce the funding of public conveniences in order to make budget savings of £300,000. It’s believed that around ten public toilets must close in order to achieve these savings.
A list of twelve facilities has been identified for closure, based on criteria such as usage, accessibility and condition:
· London Road
· Tollcross
· St John’s Road
· Canaan Lane
· Middle Meadow Walk
· Joppa
· Hawes Pier, South Queensferry
· Granton Square
· Ardmillan
· Currie
· Canonmills
· Juniper Green
Members of the public are being asked for their feedback on how these potential closures would impact on them individually and their communities – this will help the Council to make the final decision about which public conveniences to close.
Residents can now take part in the online survey which will run until Monday 25 May.
There are currently more than 60 publicly accessible toilets across the city and a community toilets scheme is currently under consideration to further improve provision.