Council looks at more cost-cutting measures (From Echo)

Council looks at more cost-cutting measures

6:30am Thursday 5th August 2010 in

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Thurrock Council is considering cutting members’ allowances and turning off traffic lights in a bid to save £4million.

The proposals have been put forward by the opposition Tory group at the council.

The ruling Labour group has said it will consider the options after the Tories came up with the cuts, which would save £220,000.

Tory leader Garry Hague put forward the proposals as he hit out at other cuts Labour is looking to make as part of a revised budget.

Mr Hague called for the proposed cuts to environmental, safety and community facilities to be abandoned and an alternative range of savings totalling the same considered.

He said: “We recognise the necessity for the council to make additional budget savings, to a large extent as a result of the previous government’s mis-management of the economy.

“We also recognise this needs to be done at a pace to ensure early action is taken to implement these savings to the council’s budget this year.

“However, we are very concerned that a number of Labour’s savings proposals have not been properly thought through and will result in cuts to key services and community facilities that many of our residents value highly.

“To say their approach to setting the budget has been haphazard, is being generous.”

The top four cuts the Tory group want abandoned are the planned reduction in street lighting, reduction in street cleaning and cleanliness, locking parks and cemeteries and closing Chafford Hundred Library.

As an alternative, the Tories want to reduce councillor allowances by five per cent, reduce street lighting by 50 per cent and switch off traffic lights overnight, stop payment for councillors’ broadband and stop councillors’ car mileage within Thurrock.

Leader of the council John Kent said: “We will give serious consideration to these proposals.”

Tory councillors Rob Gledhill and Lynn Carr are both supporting the five per cent pay cut for councillors and ceased their claims for broadband expenses until the situation is reviewed.

A report of the final budget proposals will be brought back to the cabinet on August 11.