Tories cut Strood Services
Medway tories have confirmed that they have a multi-million pound budget black hole, and that massive cuts were looming for front line services. Cuts that will affect every resident of Medway. The tories admitted that Medway Council would need to save a staggering £6.4m overspend due to a failure to manage costs in key departments and failed pet projects.
Council £6.4m OD
Many residents were aware that the tories were looking at cutting local services to save money. From the proposed fortnightly bin collection, the privatization of Shaws Wood peoples home and over inflationary increases in Council tax seen in numerous budgets since 2002.
The tory budget black-hole occurred because they failed to control costs, and have mismanaged large scale capital programmes. The tories have blamed central government for a lack of funding, but the blame firmly resides on deputy-leader Alan Jarrett, who failed to ensure appropriate operational control and oversight of capital programmes and departments.
The public are rightly concerned, that the tory budget black hole comes after a local election, where the voters were asked to trust the tories on fiscal prudence and regulated spending. The residents of Strood are aware that the tories will have known before the local election about budget problems, and yet chose not to inform people - and indeed continued to announce spending promises which could now all be in peril.
Resident will be keeping an eye on tory promises, including bus passes for young people and the weekly rubbish collection.
Strood Civic closed
The cuts to public services, come despite the same old Conservative administration purchasing a new Civic Headquarters in Chatham, and the closure and sell-off of the current Strood Civic centre. This move to be funded from Strood tax payers money and after months of planning within the corridors of power.
The total cost of this new centre is unknown, but it is clear that this move will be paid for by the council tax payer, whilst the Strood centre will be sold for housing. In addition, many staff will be now looking to the small print of the move to make sure that in addition to whole-sale cuts to departments and departmental remits there jobs remain safe.
Residents and traders not consultated
Residents and traders in Strood are also extremely concerned by council service cuts and the move of the Civic centre, when Strood is in desperate need for further economic investment. Many local traders have also not been consulted by local tory councillors, about cuts and location movements. Many are concerned that much needed trade will now dissapear, with the closure of the Civic Centre having a catastrophic affect on the High Street’s smaller shops and traders. The daily custom of council employees will go elsewhere and passing trade from 100s of daily visitors will be lost. Many fear town centre business will become an Aldi/Safeway grab-and-go with local business simply unable to compete.
Labour pledge for Strood Sports Centre
Leisure centres across Medway and Strood have also been appalled to learn that core services, including those for heart patients and other residents could be slashed in a dire bid to dig the council out of financial meltdown. Strood Labour is fighting back, led by Councillor Stephen Hubbard and the Labour team who have signed a red-heart pledge, to fight against tory cuts to frontline services.
In addition to threats to Strood services, the Stirling Sports Centre in Rochester is under major threat with all services to close during the day in what is an unprecetented cut in front line services.
Further to these cuts, no front line services are beyond the axe of the tories.
The tories are fiscally incompetent and have shown that they cant manage local council services without cutting frontline services.
As a result local council tax will once again increase - despite promises to the contrary, and local services will suffer as a result of a tired, torrid and tarnished tory administration.
