No stone will be left unturned as Epsom and Ewell Borough Council try to save an extra £1m as Government cuts to local authorities are coming quicker and are more savage than expected, according to the council.
Chairman of the Residents' Association, Clive Woodbridge, said the council must review all its services including venues, accommodation for the homeless, and must also look at collaborating with other councils and organisations.
But Conservative councillor Tina Mountain believes internal savings should be prioritised over cutting residents’ services.
From December: "The future is in their hands": Dispute erupts over fate of Wells Centre before services moved
The council calculated the effects of Tory austerity on the borough after George Osborne slashed funding to local Government nationwide in his autumn statement in November.
The borough council will have to save £1m more than the £2.3m they anticipated they would need to save before 2020.
The council has discovered it would be one of only 15 councils nationwide to have its revenue support grant - generalised funding to local Government - withdrawn from next year.
Additionally this grant is to be slashed by 58 per cent in the financial year 2016/17.
It was cut by 30 per cent in 2015/16 and 23 per cent in 2014/15.
The council estimates it must now save £3.3m, with the bulk of this having to be made over the next two years.
Councillor Neil Dallen, pictured above, chairman of the Strategy and Resources Committee, described these cuts as "more savage, and significantly quicker than anticipated".
Councillor Woodbridge, pictured above, said: "I hope we can maintain services residents value, but inevitably some will have to be cut, given the scale and speed of the latest budget cuts from the Government.
"It will involve some hard decisions by councillors over the next year."
Conservative Tina Mountain, pictured above, believes savings could be made more efficiently by re-evaluating the council’s pay structure, cutting down on costly projects such as spending £3.5m to make South Street two-way, and scrapping the mayoral car.
She said: "I think people in Epsom and Ewell understand the Government needs to make savings. The question instead is are the RAs choosing to make the right savings?
"I would start with the top down and amalgamating services with other boroughs, wherever possible, rather than cut any services.
"I would ensure that the most vulnerable in society were hit last - I would not, for example, start by cutting services to the elderly such as the RA’s decisions made at The Wells Community Centre."
How do you think Epsom and Ewell Borough Council should make these savings? Comment below, or get in touch at craig.richard@london.newsquest.co.uk
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