Warning on future of 'frontline' council services in Telford

Telford & Wrekin Councillor Bill McClements said council staff had been hard hit by recent cuts, with 1,200 positions being removed to protect vital services.

Councillor McClements, cabinet member for finance and enterprise, said job cuts and pay freezes for the remaining staff had saved the council about £22 million.

But he warned options were running out as the council strived to save a further £9m this financial year on top of the £70m it had already saved over the last four years.

Councillor McClements, speaking during Tuesday's Telford & Wrekin budget and finance scrutiny committee meeting, said: "More than 1,200 jobs have been cut.

"The figure in terms of wages is £22m. There have also been cost reductions in services and between £9m and £8m has been raised through new income.

"The next couple of years are going to make the decisions more and more difficult.

"There have been a lot of frontline services that have been saved but that's an option that is running out."

The council's budget for 2014 to 2015 was presented during the meeting and councillors will now look at the items in detail before approving the final document.

A public consultation on the budget will last until February 8. The document will be drawn up by February 19 to be presented to full council by February 26.

Councillor Shirley Reynolds, chairman for the committee, said: "Some of things that have been discussed I have found quite enlightening.

"Income support is becoming more and more vital but we are losing out on funding from the Government, which we will need if we are not going to lose frontline services. It would be good to see exactly what income we are bringing in."

The budget has called for a freeze on council tax for the next two years - equating to £1,147.49 for a band D property - with £8m being raised through a New Homes Bonus.

A £1m pot would be used to help revitalise borough's high streets, district centres and to attract more people into the areas.

Councillor McClements said capital from the council's small housing investment programme had been kept separate from the budget.

He said it should be seen as a company in its own merit so the council could clearly see how well it was performing.

He added any reference to future investment through MOD Donnington, which was currently in the running to become one of the most important Ministry of Defence sites in the UK, had also been left off the budget until a final decision had been made.