Council needs to save another £17m

The Council is looking to save more than £17million as a result of continuing financial pressures and government cuts

Oldham Council has launched a consultation on its proposed budget savings for 2019/20, which could see money cut from community transport and fines being brought in for travelling in bus lanes.

It comes as the town looks to save more than £17million as a result of continuing financial pressures and government cuts.

The level of savings needed means that officers and councillors have had to come up with a range of proposals to cut expenditure, increase income and change the way the council operates.

You can view and submit comments on the savings proposals affecting services now at: www.oldham.gov.uk/letstalkbudget

There are also a further range of money saving measures which don’t have a direct effect on public services which are not subject to public consultation such as internal restructures, budget efficiencies and contract renegotiations.

While those options are not subject to public consultation, they may be subject to consultation with staff and Trades Unions if they are likely to mean redundancies.

Cllr Abdul Jabbar, Deputy Leader of Oldham Council and cabinet member for finance, said: “When the Chancellor announced his budget on October 29, saw headlines about an end to austerity.

"However, when it comes to local government, nothing could be further from the truth.

“According to the Local Government Association, £16 billion has been stripped out of the system since 2010 and we have had to make significant savings every year, removing more than £208million from our budget.

“The Government must understand that you simply cannot do that without reducing the quality of our public services and harming towns like ours.

“As a result, we’re left with some very difficult choices to make. The proposals we’ve put out there are a reflection of that.”

The consultation will close on February 14 and councillors will make a final decision on February 27.

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