Weymouth and Portland Borough Council facing £1.5million black hole (From Thisisdorset)
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Weymouth and Portland Borough Council facing £1.5million black hole
8:48am Wednesday 29th July 2009 in
COUNCIL chiefs may have to take drastic measures to plug a projected £1.5million black hole in its budget.
Weymouth and Portland Borough Council officers estimate that the authority could be facing the shortfall by the end of 2011 and almost £4.5million by the end of 2015 unless cost-cutting measures are taken.
In a report, officers told members the amount of money the council needed to save would be the equivalent of increasing pay and display car parking charges by 57 per cent or hiking council tax by 25 per cent.
The money could also be saved if the council were to axe several discretionary services at once, including tourist information centres, CCTV, festivals and events, play areas and open spaces, public conveniences and parks and gardens.
The report added that councillors may find the options ‘unpalatable and unpopular’ and that the changes would be likely to have a ‘significant public impact’.
The report also states that the council’s financial situation is down in part to reductions in government funding and the continued need to fund concessionary bus travel in the borough.
The council’s finance and assets spokesman Coun Peter Chapman said: “The council will look at alternative and new income streams and alternative ways of delivering services, first and foremost but hard times mean hard choices and the budget shortfall this year will not be closed by simply doing things more efficiently.
“Despite finding the highest level of efficiency savings of any council in Dorset last year and surpassing the target set by the Government, we have no alternative but to look at cutting some services, stop providing other services and increasing fees and charges.”
The stark options presented in the officers’ report include the possibility of selling off assets such as the council’s North Quay offices or seafront hotels to save money.
The chairman of the Weymouth Hoteliers and Guesthouse Licensees’ Association (WHGLA), Dave Price, who also runs the Molyneux guesthouse on the seafront, said he has lost faith in the council.
He said: “One of the association members has been asked recently to pay 40 per cent more in rent next year – which is just a pie in the sky figure.
“I’ve had my doubts about the council and councillors as a whole in the last few years.
“I wonder how much of the benefit from these savings would be seen by local council tax payers anyway.”
The leaseholder of the council-owned Channel View guesthouse and former WHGLA secretary, Alison Weller, added: “I know the financial difficulty the council is facing but they need to find a way to step up to the mark, especially since we will be hosting the Olympics.”
Members of the council’s management committee will discuss the report detailing the financial pressure the authority is facing at their next meeting on Tuesday, August 4.
Council officers are then expected to work on cost-cutting proposals with councillors to present to the management committee in December.
Comments(23)
Wey-Dave
says...
9:16am Wed 29 Jul 09
Techie
says...
10:11am Wed 29 Jul 09
JamesYoung wrote:I wonder how much they can squeeze out of Option 1 if they're already exceeding the efficiency savings targets.
So, it seems that the council has three options open to it.
1. Cut out all the inefficiency
2. Cut front line services
3. Put up council tax and parking charges
I've little doubt as to which two they will choose.
However, there is a need for some long term thinking here. With WDDC seeking new offices, consolidating both councils into a single office, sharing facilities, would provide dramatic savings for years to come.
As ever, it's likely to end up with options 2 or 3 again. So where do we cut services? The article makes mention of discretionary services like Tourist Information Centres and Festivals & Events - but how do you put a price on the benefits they bring to the borough in terms of footfall and tourism income?
WPBC need to be wary of making shortsighted cuts in services - if the nettle needs to be grasped let's do it sooner rather than later and try and avoid the usual whining and point scoring.
Techie
says...
10:11am Wed 29 Jul 09
JamesYoung wrote:I wonder how much they can squeeze out of Option 1 if they're already exceeding the efficiency savings targets.
So, it seems that the council has three options open to it.
1. Cut out all the inefficiency
2. Cut front line services
3. Put up council tax and parking charges
I've little doubt as to which two they will choose.
However, there is a need for some long term thinking here. With WDDC seeking new offices, consolidating both councils into a single office, sharing facilities, would provide dramatic savings for years to come.
As ever, it's likely to end up with options 2 or 3 again. So where do we cut services? The article makes mention of discretionary services like Tourist Information Centres and Festivals & Events - but how do you put a price on the benefits they bring to the borough in terms of footfall and tourism income?
WPBC need to be wary of making shortsighted cuts in services - if the nettle needs to be grasped let's do it sooner rather than later and try and avoid the usual whining and point scoring.
WeyDave
says...
10:11am Wed 29 Jul 09
Wey-Dave wrote:If you must have the same user name as me please spell correctly:-)
One thing for shore “parking will go up again”
(sure not shore)
bungy
says...
10:28am Wed 29 Jul 09
boxfile
says...
10:45am Wed 29 Jul 09
boxfile
says...
10:48am Wed 29 Jul 09
Tip of the Day:
Proof Read :)
fastjet
says...
12:40pm Wed 29 Jul 09
Dorsetdumpling
says...
12:48pm Wed 29 Jul 09
Bilious
says...
1:02pm Wed 29 Jul 09
karenkj
says...
1:12pm Wed 29 Jul 09
Sidney Hall
says...
1:37pm Wed 29 Jul 09
:-)
Genghis
says...
1:49pm Wed 29 Jul 09
Dorsetdumpling wrote:With you on that one Dorsetdumpling. Definitely the best suggestion of the lot so far. Get the Pavillion to book Professor Stephen Hawking for a series of lectures as well. Definitely would be better than Jim Davidson or another tribute band.
Given that the council black hole is an annual event nowadays, has anyone thought to capitalize on it? - there must be thousands of astronomers and scientists out there who would be prepared to combine a seaside holiday with some scientific study....
portlandresident
says...
5:32pm Wed 29 Jul 09
The Tourist Information Centre for example, is a true asset and investment if footfall and visitor numbers are to be welcomed and encouraged. The Tourist Information Centre in particular have so much to offer, both visitors and residents alike. I can go there to purchase my coach tickets for National Express, book to see shows and events, and even book accommodation for other parts of the country! I even found out the other dsy, that they're producing a guide to this area for the visually impaired! It's a CD read by their own staff to keep costs at a minimum, and appears to be very well prodced. It could be a first for the country!
They appear to sell window advertising space to generate a steady income for the council, and do so much for the local community.
Looks to me like the 'TIC' try hard to justify their existence and the fact that there's a real business 'need' for them to be here.
They should remain, as they're key to ensuring a positive image for us as a resort.
portlandresident
says...
5:47pm Wed 29 Jul 09
The Tourist Information Centre for example, is a true asset and investment if footfall and visitor numbers are to be welcomed and encouraged. The Tourist Information Centre in particular have so much to offer, both visitors and residents alike. I can go there to purchase my coach tickets for National Express, book to see shows and events, and even book accommodation for other parts of the country! I even found out the other dsy, that they're producing a guide to this area for the visually impaired! It's a CD read by their own staff to keep costs at a minimum, and appears to be very well prodced. It could be a first for the country!
They appear to sell window advertising space to generate a steady income for the council, and do so much for the local community.
Looks to me like the 'TIC' try hard to justify their existence and the fact that there's a real business 'need' for them to be here.
They should remain, as they're key to ensuring a positive image for us as a resort.
portlandresident
says...
5:53pm Wed 29 Jul 09
The Tourist Information Centre for example, is a true asset and investment if footfall and visitor numbers are to be welcomed and encouraged. The Tourist Information Centre in particular have so much to offer, both visitors and residents alike. I can go there to purchase my coach tickets for National Express, book to see shows and events, and even book accommodation for other parts of the country! I even found out the other dsy, that they're producing a guide to this area for the visually impaired! It's a CD read by their own staff to keep costs at a minimum, and appears to be very well prodced. It could be a first for the country!
They appear to sell window advertising space to generate a steady income for the council, and do so much for the local community.
Looks to me like the 'TIC' try hard to justify their existence and the fact that there's a real business 'need' for them to be here.
They should remain, as they're key to ensuring a positive image for us as a resort.
portlandresident
says...
6:32pm Wed 29 Jul 09
doogieduggie
says...
6:44pm Wed 29 Jul 09
The new CCTV cams in Fortuneswell. How is it the contractors putting them in placed the poles in the ground in the evening, relaid and re-cememnted the paving all around them only for the other contractors the very next morning to come along and tear it all up again to do the wiring?
Please explain the logic of this and explain why resources and time are being so stupidly wasted. Also who is the moron supposedly checking contractors and how tax payers money is being WASTED! Everywhere I go I see such examples, how come I see them but the people paid to see them in the Council do not?
Now how about those Olympic contracts shell we start digging there too?
Shame the press don't do their job either isn't it! Yo afraid of losing sponsors and advertises should you DARE to do some real news ;-) I wonder how many MILLION have already been filtered off in overuns/expenses charging for work twice and God knows what else down at the Olympics site and related business.
Occasional Reader
says...
7:18pm Wed 29 Jul 09
The Old Rec
says...
9:12pm Wed 29 Jul 09
weymouthfox
says...
12:01am Thu 30 Jul 09
Techie
says...
2:07am Thu 30 Jul 09
The Old Rec wrote:The last 'black hole' was actually explained in some depth with a day's worth of presentations about it at Cineworld - the very detailed powerpoint slides were also available to download from WPBC's website. I thought I still had a copy but can't la my hand on it right now.
I am getting on a bit and may be wrong but didn't we have a similar 'one off' financial black hole with this same council a few years back. All of the Boroughs residents had a one off hike in their council tax - that 'one off' was never rescinded so far as I am aware and we are still paying year on year. I don't think it was ever made public what the problem was on that occasion or which department,if any,was to blame - seems to be a bit of deja vu to me. I suspect the car parking will see another increase in charges - have just had a trip to Wareham, car park a few yards from the town centre, parking bays about 30% wider than any in Weymouth - £2.00 for 4 hours. !!
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JamesYoung says...
9:13am Wed 29 Jul 09
1. Cut out all the inefficiency
2. Cut front line services
3. Put up council tax and parking charges
I've little doubt as to which two they will choose.
However, there is a need for some long term thinking here. With WDDC seeking new offices, consolidating both councils into a single office, sharing facilities, would provide dramatic savings for years to come.