Council coffers come up short

Cutbacks in council spending are expected after the state of its finances has been laid bare.

Leader Sam Crooks says his Lib Dem cabinet is considering reductions in 'back office' bureaucracy and consultants, as well as offering staff voluntary redundancy.

It follows a report, due to be presented to councillors on Tuesday, which accuses the authority of an 'unacceptable level of slippage'.

This includes a £1.3 million funding shortfall in the refurbishment of Bletchley Leisure Centre.

The council, which has a budget of half a billion pounds, has failed to make the £2 million efficiency savings it previously planned.

Meanwhile its reserves have dipped below £8 million, the level which is considered safe.

Another report reveals that school builds Hazeley, Oxley Park, Walton High and Caroline Haslett 'did not provide value for money'.

The Radcliffe School continues to owe the coffers £2.8 million.

Meanwhile, income from planning, leisure facilities and council tax has dropped due to the downturn.

Cllr Crooks has therefore increased his target of making £7 million savings by April 2010 to £12 million.

He said: "We know we've got to face up to the implications of the recession.

"What we're trying to do is to prepare for what are going to be rough years to come.

"I'm determined to protect front-line services, such as social workers, which are so important at times like these."

The Audit Committee, chaired by Labour Cllr Brian White, has decided that staff who manage money should get budget training.

He said: "Action needs to be taken now. We've got to have sufficient reserves.

"We've got a problem with the way the council finances

are being run.

"All the budget holders should ask themselves 'is the work I'm doing achieving the council's objectives?' In my view, most would not be able to answer yes."