Bleak outlook as county begins to reveal proposed cuts
Wednesday, 8th December 2010.
Lollipop patrols, some school transport and waste tip opening hours are among the most likely things to hit Haverhill in the first big round of cuts announced by Suffolk County Council this week.
All lollipop men and women will be among the 1,500 council employees to lose their jobs over the next couple of years.
Some school transport is certain to be hit, particularly for special needs children and for children attending Roman Catholic schools.
Another cut is the council's £1.2m annual membership of Suffolk SafeCam Partnership, which is likely to see several speed cameras removed from the county's roads.
The council is faced with a shortfall of between £110m and £125m for the coming year and says it has no alternative but to cut these jobs and services.
With an unfortunate irony, the £230,000 annual cost of the county's lollipop people (on average £2,232 a year each) at 60 plus sites, is almost exactly the same as the controversial salary of the council's chief executive Andrea Hill.
Government figures released this week showed Suffolk County Council holds on to £68.8million in reserves - about 7.1 per cent of its annual revenue expenditure, lower than the national average for councils of 9.9 per cent.
Secretary of state for communities and local government Eric Pickles has urged councils facing tough spending cuts next year to dip into their reserves.
All lollipop men and women will be among the 1,500 council employees to lose their jobs over the next couple of years.
Some school transport is certain to be hit, particularly for special needs children and for children attending Roman Catholic schools.
Another cut is the council's £1.2m annual membership of Suffolk SafeCam Partnership, which is likely to see several speed cameras removed from the county's roads.
The council is faced with a shortfall of between £110m and £125m for the coming year and says it has no alternative but to cut these jobs and services.
With an unfortunate irony, the £230,000 annual cost of the county's lollipop people (on average £2,232 a year each) at 60 plus sites, is almost exactly the same as the controversial salary of the council's chief executive Andrea Hill.
Government figures released this week showed Suffolk County Council holds on to £68.8million in reserves - about 7.1 per cent of its annual revenue expenditure, lower than the national average for councils of 9.9 per cent.
Secretary of state for communities and local government Eric Pickles has urged councils facing tough spending cuts next year to dip into their reserves.
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