Council prepares for national savings drive
News article
Lytham Windmill
All vacant jobs at Fylde Council are going under close scrutiny as part of the drive to save money ahead of an expected cut in Whitehall grant funding.
The “good housekeeping” measure will mean that all vacancies will go under the microscope – with senior managers instructed to see if there are alternatives to filling the post.
Early indications are that approximately £1.25m will have to be saved in Fylde in the future as part of a national drive to put the nation’s finances back on course.
Councillor Karen Buckley, Fylde Council Cabinet member for Partnerships and Community Engagement, said: “Value for money has always been paramount for Fylde Council. We won’t know exactly how much we will have to save for some months yet – but we intend to plan ahead for savings, rather than rushing around at the last minute.
“Every enterprise has to provide value for money and Fylde Council is no different. We have always had a prudent approach to staffing levels, but the government’s recent emergency budget made it clear that all councils will have to apply an ever-more critical eye to what we spend.
“Staffing costs account for a large proportion of our overall expenditure. This move does not mean an end to filling jobs – it just means we will look very closely to see if we can organise the work differently while still providing a good level of services for residents.”
The government’s emergency budget last month indicated that Whitehall funding for councils will be cut by approximately 25 per cent – that is, approximately £1.25m for Fylde Council. The precise figure for each council will not be known until October or November.
The new move means that senior managers must scrutinise each vacant job closely before the job is advertised.
Councillor David Eaves, council leader, added: “These are difficult times and hard decisions will have to be made by councils all over the country.
“We want to manage this process well by planning ahead – a process that can only increase value for money for Fylde Council Tax-payers.”
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