Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
£7.6m cuts in city budget
Friday 18th September 2009, 11:30AM BST.
Day centres will close and scores of jobs lost in cuts of £7.6 million announced today by Wolverhampton City Council.
The Visitor Information Centre in Queen Square will shut and cremation and burial fees will soar as Tory leaders attempt to balance the budget.
The cabinet, which wants a zero per cent council tax rise next year, today insisted its aim was “value for money”.
Under the plans, meals on wheels charges will almost double, Merry Hill and Graiseley’s Ekta day centres will close and opening hours at tips in Anchor Lane, Coseley, and Shaw Road, Bushbury, will be reduced.
The latest cuts, which have been published in a 119-page report, are part of the council’s £40 million savings programme set to last until 2011.
Until now the authority has only revealed the details of £33 million cuts, including the closure of Underhill House care home in Fallings Park, reduced spending on Christmas lights and scrapping the free city centre bus.
The Visitor Information Centre, the last remaining dedicated tourist office in the Black Country, had a revamp in 2006.
The £7.6 million savings could also be followed by another £2 million of cuts next year, although they have yet to be identified.
The document is going to go out for three months of public consultation.
Councillor Neville Patten, leader of the authority, said: “We are being open and above board with this and want the public to be with us, and rest assured we will do everything we can to bring in the lowest possible council tax rates.”
The amount of jobs to go is not yet known, but Labour leader Councillor Roger Lawrence said: “We think it could be around 200.”
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The Visitor Information Centre provides a valuable service to visitors and the image they have of the city and every attempt must be made to see it keep it open.
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Cut the councillors from 3 to 1 in each ward? I couldn’t tell you what councillor Manohar Minhas looked like, where Claire Drake has vanished to, and the other one for Park might aswell be the invisible man! I could do that, giz a job!!
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The council in Wolverhampton now are making cuts for their poor management in the past.The town centre is an almost ghost town and will be soon a no go area with less business rate revenue due to closures, to fund pathetic ideas such as fountains and traffic wardens.
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Hurray. At last councillors who thinks about the poor taxpayer.
Labour should be ashamed of the mess they created.
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Good on the tory council,enough of being ripped off by previous labour councils as close as possible to the increase capped by useless Brown&co.Next get rid of Brown’s shambles asap.
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I agree we need the Visitor Infor Centre keeping. Why did they waste money on the fountain ??????
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The people of wolverhampton will get what they pay for. If they expect to pay peanuts they will get monkeys
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once aain the most vulnerable in our society are to be penalised. heaven help those who become old infirmed or sick. There is no place in Wolverhampton for such people. Is zero council tax worth causing hardship to the weakest members of society?
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Here is another example of poor local government authority leadership. Why is it that LGA’s are given budgets and they can never spend what is allocated. There is always overspend!! It’s Disgustimg!!!
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Yes to all the above. And before anyone harks on about Tory council axing jobs, this is a Labour mess being cleared up.
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if cuts have to be made then why not shut the fountains down in queens square because it takes 3 workmen at a time to stand over one outlet i know because i’ve watched them. Come New Years Eve and they will be wrecked. Then guess what, they will have to be repaired at another expense.
But what about public toilets – no- waste of money!
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No 8 -Thats the Tories for you. Always take from the poor and give to the rich. Robin hood in reverse.
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I agree we have 3 in my area dunstall road and in the 20year i have been here i have never see one
Cut the councillors from 3 to 1 in each ward? I couldn’t tell you what councillor Manohar Minhas looked like, where Claire Drake has vanished to, and the other one for Park might aswell be the invisible man! I could do that, giz a job!!
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Does anyone here understand real polotics as the tories are just proving to be breaking up the public sector just for profit. Only greedy fat cats could dream up this as a good idea. At the end the day it is for sort lived profit. It will be same as any public service that has gone private and the public will pay in the future and by then the orignal people that put it in place will have long gone. All you need to do is look at public transport and the banks recently. Both are now mainly funded out of public funding to keep them running. Cannot see how the coucils can see it as a good idea to make a quick profit when they know they will have to pay in the long run for what they have done. In england we have spent years trying to make good public sector which has always been currupted with private companies. Tories are the people that actually doom the public health sector within councils as they wanted make money. What is going to be left for future generations. People should face facts and forget all the spin and personal greed.
Do you really want a careless society that only cares about money not people?
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Congrats to Ex & S for helping the general public to see the connection between low council tax and service cuts.
you gets what you pays for kids!
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Cutting councillors from 3 to 1 in each ward — whatever, it’ll make barely any difference financially.
What do these day centres do, exactly? I pay for them but I’ve no idea what they’re for. If there’s a need for them, let the charitable sector provide them.
It’s clear that some of the commenters here pay very little, if any, tax: typical socialists … love spending other people’s money.
The Tourist Info Centre : please, some of you really think Wolverhampton needs one? Take a look around the place, esp. the city centre. See many tourists? No, me neither. If shutting it saves some cash, then great.
The fountain does seem to be something of a white elephant but then wasn’t it started under the Labour lot? Probably more expensive to get rid of their “simple shopper” contracts for the fountain than it was to go ahead.
When will people realise that the productive members of society cannot be constantly robbed to fund the extravagances of local authorities?
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Can’t we get rid of the entire Wolverhampton City Council – I’m sure we’ll struggle by without them all some how.
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Government Spends wastes millions,they look after themselves.Poorest of society feel the cuts the most.
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What do these tories want of society or do they even wany any society in Wolverhampton? I earn slightly more than average and live in a property worth about average, Band C and to mind it stinks whats happening. Yes Labour may have made mistakes in the past and these need correcting but the elderly, the ill, those who need care, welfare and attention are being set adrift. I don’t want to be part of a group that neglects thoses that need help. I don’t want a nil increase in tax, I want an tax level that ensures I live in a community that cares. My ancestors moved out of the caves years ago and I don’t want to go back to that small minded attitude of look out for yourself and look out for no one else. I’m productive to help all, not just myself.
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At the end of the day all councillors be they labour or tory insist on giving themselves hyped up pay rises before they consider the job in hand of “saving money” and reducing everyone elses pay claims. Reduce the councillors and save money or is that too easy?
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Common sense 3-1 councillors = at least £48,000
nothing to you perhaps but to us common folk would make a considerable difference
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It’s all about money with people who run Wolverhampton why should things close we pay the taxes and we should chose with the money we earn to spend it on what think is right no need for more schools spend money on old folk thay need a good life left how ever long
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this is just the beginning, mass closures off libraries, parks and visitor attractions next. There will be nothing left in wolvo. The upping of meals on wheels charges is discusting, nothing more than a back door privatisation. It is not just about supplying food to the elderley,for some this is the only human contact they get. Tories know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
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i welcome the leaders approach to being open and honest, could he please tell me how much it would cost on my council tax for these to services to continue a current rates?
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Lot of people on here with short memories.
Every year for a least the last 30, services have been cut in Wolverhampton BUT the council Tax still goes up and more and more people WORK for the council.
No mention of cuts for ”Ethnic Minority” services again I see.
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