Consultation Launched On Council’s £400m Spending Plans

Residents across Swansea are being given the chance to have their say on council spending plans of £400m over the coming financial year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Last year thousands of local people including council staff and young people took the opportunity to speak up about how the council intended to spend its budget. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

And now they’ve got until January 23, 2017, to have their say on how the council proposes to spend £1.5m a day providing services which touch lives in every street in the city. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Earlier this week Cabinet agreed to consult on plans which aim to increase spending on education to more than £162m next year, including £140m which will go directly to head teachers to spend on their school budgets. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

More than £100m is being earmarked for social services for adults and children, more than £5m on poverty and prevention strategies and a further £50m on services like waste, recycling, streets, cultural and library services. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Rob Stewart, Leader of the Council, said: “We are doing more with less and we’re able to do this because the council is becoming smarter, leaner and more efficient. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We’ve been able to make millions of pounds of savings on management and back office costs. We’ve automated services so more often people can do business with us when they want rather than when we can. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We’re also working with local communities who want to support services in their areas and providing social services sooner to promote health and wellbeing and prevent problems later.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Stewart said that next year the council aims to save £3.4m on management and business support costs, bringing to £70m the total amount of savings achieved over the last three years. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He said that over the last few years thousands of residents had spoken-up in the budget consultation process and their contribution had strengthened the final proposals voted on by Full Council. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The consultation process has helped the council ensure the priorities of the people of Swansea are our priorities as well. Our ‘Big Conversation’ with young people is making a difference because they’re influencing our thinking about the things that matter to them like good facilities in which to learn and providing support in times of trouble.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Council staff are also getting involved in a series of roadshows which provide a platform to express views to be taken into account and to offer fresh ideas on the council’s ongoing work to continue to develop sustainable, affordable services in the years ahead. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Residents can get involved in the budget consultation at www.swansea.gov.uk/budgetsurvey ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

They can also pick up hard-copy versions of the consultation information survey at libraries, the Civic Centre and Guildhall. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​