Tag: service cuts

No winners as Council sets budget

Councillors prioritise poverty, climate and vital services for residents as budget balanced

Millions of pounds will be spent on protecting and improving crucial frontline services in Edinburgh after councillors agreed a balanced budget for 2024/25.

Labour, Tory and Lib-Dem councillors voted together to get the budget passed.

Featuring an additional £27m for schools and young people and £12.5m additional annual investment in roads, pavements, lighting and drainage improvements, the £1.5bn spending programme stays true to the Council’s core commitments of tackling poverty and inequality, becoming a net zero city by 2030 and ‘getting the basics right’ for the residents of Edinburgh.

Money will be ringfenced from a 7% rent rise for tenants to tackle the city’s housing emergency. This rent increase will raise around £2bn over 10 years to repair, upgrade and retrofit housing and to build and buy much needed social and affordable homes.

Funding for poverty fighting projects includes £100,000 for a Youth and Community Welfare Transition Fund, £25,000 to support the Big Hoose project which helps families experiencing hardship with household items, £500,000 towards child poverty reduction and close to £3m towards the city’s homelessness spend.

Boosting the biodiversity of Edinburgh’s award-winning parks and greenspaces, £600,000 will be put towards climate improvements, with additional funds for tree planting and new climate jobs. Up to £750,000 extra every year for three years will be spent on a rolling programme of localised and coastal flood prevention, acting on the city’s ambitious Climate Ready Plan.

In order to balance the budget, councillors also agreed raise to fees and charges such as Pay & Display parking and to change contributions to the Lothian Pension Fund at no impact to employees’ pensions.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m pleased that, despite ever-worsening settlements from the Scottish Government, we’ve been able to deliver a balanced budget and the very best investment plan we can for our city and for our residents.

“This is a budget aimed at protecting vital frontline services on which our communities and residents rightly depend. It will help us to keep on getting the basics right by improving our roads and parks and greenspaces, supporting our schools, tackling poverty, and working towards our climate crisis.

“We’re also putting additional funding towards Edinburgh Leisure, the creation of new public toilets and continuing our work with partners to reduce the harmful effects of poverty. This will include supporting the Big Hoose Project and lifting households out of homelessness.

“For all that, we remain the lowest funded local authority in Scotland, and I won’t tire of fighting for fairer funding for our Capital City.”

Socialist Labour Leith councillor Katrina Faccenda perhaps best sums up a day on which elected members were faced with a choice not of improving services, but where to make the latest round of cuts:

‘We are listening to deputations before our Council Budget meeting and it’s clear whichever budget is passed, there is no good budget for public services on the table. No-one should celebrate passing their budget – this is a sad day for vital services.‘

COSLA: Scottish Budget is a ‘missed opportunity’

COUNCIL LEADERS SEEK URGENT MEETING WITH DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER

COSLA has today (Friday) described the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget as a missed opportunity for the communities of Scotland in relation to transforming our economy and meeting climate targets.

The councils’ umbrella body added that Scotland’s Council Leaders, Councillors, the Local Government Workforce and communities should be treated with the respect they deserve demonstrated through investment, not cuts.

A COSLA spokesperson said: “At a special meeting just before Christmas, there was dismay and frustration from Scotland’s Council Leaders about the way Local Government and the communities we represent had been treated in the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget.

“As the Budget currently stands, communities will see and feel a range of negative impacts.

“COSLA’a budget campaign set out the case for fair funding that would allow LG to deliver for the people of Scotland, particularly around Transforming our Economy through a just transition to deliver net zero, one of the 3 shared priorities laid out in the Verity House Agreement.

“The response from the @scotgov to our Budget ask is disappointing and will mean that the potential that councils have to prevent problems occurring will be limited severely.

“The Budget is bad news for the just transition to a net zero economy. We are still analysing the impact across all services but one notable cut is to the regeneration capital grant fund (RCGF) and the vacant and derelict land improvement programme (VDLIP) .

“Overall capital regeneration funding to Local Government has been cut by 27%, from £62.5m to £45.8m. This undermines work to regenerate communities, tackle inequalities and to reduce carbon emissions.

“This means the RCGF, which is jointly managed by Local and Scottish Government, now won’t be open to new bids for 2024-25. Our town centres and communities will be worse off due to this decision.

“On a larger scale, cuts to local government revenue and capital funding are completely the wrong things to do if Government is serious about tackling climate change and its impact on society and the economy.

“Given that 82% of all emissions are within the scope of influence of Local Authorities, plans to deliver on the Scottish Government 2030 statutory target must now be in serious doubt a few weeks after Ministers were talking up Scotland at COP 28.

“COSLA’s President, Vice President and Political Group Leaders from all parties have written to the DFM and are seeking an urgent meeting. Leaders will not let this lie, they simply cannot afford to because it will have such a detrimental impact on the communities they represent.”

Funding Cuts: Greenspace Trust forced to end community gardens support

Edinburgh & Lothian Greenspace Trust is another high-profile casualty of the EIJB Health & Social Care grants process: 

We have an important announcement in regards to our community garden activities. As part of the recent Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board funding round we have unfortunately missed out on securing ongoing funding to continue the community garden programme. 

Over the last 8 years, the Community Garden Development officers have been involved in the set up and establishment of over 40 community gardens in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The input from the Officers has been instrumental for offering support, signposting volunteers, and helping build the confidence of the people running the gardens

After eight years we will be saying good bye to the role of Community Garden Development Officers here at ELGT. While this is a sad time for us, we want to reflect on the brilliant work by the people who have been involved in making Edinburgh a greener and happier place to be.

Some success stories that we have been particularly proud to be a part of are:

  • African and Caribbean Christian Fellowship at Carlton Hill -Developed a unique community space next to the Nelson Monument
  • Cairn Housing Association at Madelvic Square, Granton – Roof garden created for the residents enabling them to socialise outdoors
  • Ravencroft Teen+ in Gilmerton-Worked with cared for teenages to encourage them to be outdoors more.
  • Whinpark Medical Centre – Created a garden for people within the community
  • Drylaw Young Persons Centre – Encourage young people to learn about food and how to cook it.
  • North Edinburgh Dementia Care, Seagrove Centre-Ran fun sessions to help them enjoy being outside
  • Penumbra in Gilmore Place-Encouraged social interact with people recovering from poor mental health
  • The Action Group at Leith Links -Helping people with learning difficulties to live independently by developing their skills.
  • Pilton Equalities Project: Developed an outdoor space for them to socialise (below).

Over the years we have had lots of very positive feedback:

“I just want to say a big thank you for all your support with the project, it’s been really enjoyable (and educational)” – Ryan , Drylaw Young Persons Centre

“Very helpful with members, getting everyone involved and doing it in a fun manner!, Members has a great time planting, encouraged them to be social and reminisce about their Gardening Days. Great Activity!” – Seagrove Centre.

‘I found the gardening sessions very therapeutic’ – The Action Group.

We will still have the online community gardening map on our website, for people to find their nearest community garden, but the change will be that they need to contact the garden directly.

This will be the same for potential volunteers as there will be no one at ELGT who is responsible for matching up volunteers with gardens.

We will also direct people to Social Farm and Garden who have great resources on their website for people who wish to start up their own community garden, the link is here

We are in the process of seeking funding elsewhere to enable the work to continue but if anyone has any suggested sources that could be suitable then please get in touch through info through info@elgt.org.uk

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Edinburgh’s Budget: Have your say on council cuts

City services face £41 MILLION cut

The City of Edinburgh Council has published draft budget proposals for the next financial year, outlining ‘savings’of £41m, and its ‘Strategy for Change and Delivering Services 2019-2023’ which lays out the long-term approach to meet the ‘changing demands on the city and its services’. Continue reading Edinburgh’s Budget: Have your say on council cuts

Tourist tax “far from welcoming”, says Timberbush Tours boss

Think again, pleads tour operator

The chief of a local tour company has appealed to councillors to reconsider plans to introduce a ‘tourist tax’. The city council estimates it must make savings of £150 million over the next five years and will propose a range of measures to address this in in next month’s budget. Councillors see the introduction of a ‘tourist tax’ as one way of avoiding even deeper cuts to council services, but business leaders have warned that any new surcharge on visitors to the city would see them vote with their wallets and choose to go elsewhere. Continue reading Tourist tax “far from welcoming”, says Timberbush Tours boss

Never give up: Power to the People group challenges council cuts

While it seems the political fight against massive council cuts has been lost, one local community group at least has continued to fight to retain essential council services. Royston Wardieburn’s Power to the People group say the cuts – and the ongoing council ‘transformation’ – will damage services and hit poorer communities particularly hard. Continue reading Never give up: Power to the People group challenges council cuts