Council unveils plans for 100 job losses
Published 19 Nov 2010 09:30
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THE poor and vulnerable in Peeblesshire are set to take the brunt of proposed council cuts.
Plans for reducing spending at Newtown St Boswells by over £6 million will be put in front of councillors next Thursday.
And amongst the raft of savings that have been drawn up are the loss of over 100 full time jobs - 35 of them in Social Work.
Funding for sheltered housing wardens, homeless advice services, frozen meal subsidies for the elderly and laundry services for the frail and incontenent will all be axed.
Around 20 additional needs assistants in local schools will be paid off, and cash for external care providers is also to be slashed.
Money to help teenagers into work, family centres and health promotion will also be stopped.
And funding towards groups like Women's Aid, Face 2 Face and Addaction will also be reduced.
The council's finance spokesman, Neil Calvert, admits even more is on the way for local authority services.
He said: "We have identified these savings but we still have a gap of around £3 million to find before next April. These papers are just an interim statement so that we can start making the changes we require - and begin negotiations with unions and staff.
"I appreciate current Social Work services are badly affected, but it was well funded to start with."
Scottish Borders Council won't know until next month exactly how much it is to get from the Scottish Government.
But bosses at the local authority expect to be facing a shortfall of around £13 million in spending.
Executive members, who have drawn up this latest round of savings, will ask the full council to rubber stamp at least 71 job losses on Thursday - with at least another 30 to go from Technical Services once bosses have finalised a management restructuring plan to save £1.7million.
Councillor Calvert continued: "A high proportion of the jobs which are going are currently unfilled vacancies - not far off half.
"Letters have gone out to all of our staff to see if they want early retirement - the responses have yet to be processed."
A reduction in funding for Visit Scotland will see Tourist Information Centres close, although it is believed Peebles will be spared.
Cash to help both the Eastgate Theatre and Glentress Outdoor Centre will either be slashed or stopped.
And the price of burial plots at local graveyards will shoot up from £284 to £450 if next week's proposals are accepted.
Councillor Calvert added: "We have to make savings and find money right across the board. There are no sacred cows."
This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 19 Nov 10
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