Financial Plan Lacks Credibility Say Liberal Democrats

Warrington Liberal Democrats claim that the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan lacks credibility and the cuts will not be achieved. A second round of cuts totalling £52m was approved by the Council on Monday night. This comes on top of £39m cuts already identified.

Group Leader Cllr Mark Browne says, “Warrington has a financial crisis and there is no point in pretending otherwise. In the first quarter of this year, the Council failed to meet its targets. Residents need evidence that these additional cuts can be achieved. The biggest cut is £34m in adult social care. What does this mean in the real world? How many people will receive different levels of support and what additional pressures will be placed on families and unpaid carers? Delayed discharges from hospital will intensify pressures on an already struggling NHS.

We cannot put another set of optimistic numbers into the plan and hope they materialise. We need to know the risks and what contingencies are in place when they fail. We need milestones and transparent reporting with more scrutiny. Residents have already made sacrifices with reduced services yet are paying more Council Tax.”

Deputy Leader Cllr Helen Speed added, “The Council is relying on a total of £354m Exceptional Financial Support from the Government. This is borrowed money and will have to be paid back over twenty years which is a significant burden on future budgets. At least Labour has acknowledged that its overall commercial approach has failed and this has led to one of the highest council debts in the country.

For two years we have offered to work constructively across parties to address all the challenges. This offer remains on the table. We would want to improve transparency and accountability and ensure scrutiny committees provide genuine challenge without members having to follow the whips’ instructions. Better use should be made of sharing public assets and the modern delivery of services. Digitisation is vital providing people who cannot use computers are not left behind.”

Cllr Sharon Harris commented, “Residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the appearance and atmosphere in our town. Weeds are growing along roadsides and pavements. Public spaces are looking increasingly untidy with litter or a lack of basic maintenance. This affects civic pride. Coupled with this is an increasing concern about public safety. There are issues with security staff at the bus interchange, worries about the reduction in the live monitoring of CCTV and reductions in street lighting.”

Finance Spokesperson Cllr Ian Marks summarised the situation, “I am the longest serving member and I am horrified with the state of the Council which I have never seen before. Staff morale is

dreadful and the atmosphere is toxic. There is a loss of corporate memory as officers are forced to leave or choose to go. We were always against the poor decisions that were made were made such as Redwood Bank and Together Energy. The Council is being made to sell assets and it is claimed they will be no firesales. We dispute this and believe the sales of the Bank and Birchwood are firesales. How come that Liberal Democrat controlled Portsmouth Council has received permission from our Council to build a huge warehouse on a disused site in Birchwood to provide high quality employment?

There is a disconnect between a very successful town and this Council. We frequently receive high rankings in national league tables for measures such as quality of life, rising living standards and employment opportunities due to our ‘booming new economy’ including knowledge-based sectors and the nuclear industry. I don’t understand this disconnect, but I do worry that what the Council is doing and the way it is doing it will adversely affect the town’s economy and hence the future lives of residents.”