Council sets up fund to fight cuts to services
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13 Dec 2010
A £35,000 fighting fund has been set up by civic leaders in Stroud in a bid to protect vulnerable residents who will be hit hardest by the forthcoming spending cuts.
In setting its budget for the coming year Stroud Town Council has confirmed that it will not be cutting any of its own services such as the maintenance of 24 open spaces across the town, as well as vital grants to many voluntary groups and arts projects.
The biggest area of new spending will be on the Lansdown Hall and Gallery. Previously known as The Space, the building was bought by the Town Council in October to save it from closure. Around £125,000 will be spent on essential repairs and improvements to the building over the next two years.
The new £35,000 Community Fund is intended to provide support to projects in the town under threat from cuts resulting from the government’s recent Comprehensive Spending Review. An additional £23,000 has been set aside to provide support for youth activities, one of the areas facing the biggest cuts from the County Council.
“Details are still emerging, but it is absolutely clear that in the coming year many of Stroud’s most vulnerable groups will be facing the loss of key, everyday services,” said Cllr Dave Cockcroft, (right) who chairs the Town Council’s finance committee. “What is also becoming clear is that it will be councils at the most local level who are left to pick up the pieces. We will see where the cuts take place in Stroud, and will use this money where it will make most impact.”
Elsewhere in the Town Council budget, there will be continued funding for Stroud’s renowned annual programme of festivals plus a three-year grant for Stroud FM totalling £9,600. New projects, include £5,130 to fund improvements to the Maypole Hall at Paganhill, an additional £7,800 for town centre regeneration, and £8,000 to complete a programme of improvements for bus passengers at Merrywalks.
The council has maintained its commitment to voluntary groups in the town, with continued funding for The Door, Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Marah Trust, Homestart, the Goodwill Evening, Stroud Show and the Canals Trust Visitor Centre. A sum of £11,000 is committed to Stroud in Bloom in 2011 with new fencing promised for Uplands allotments and the Trinity Rooms Pocket Park.
Councillors unanimously approved an expenditure budget of £647,750 at a meeting on Monday December 6th. This will mean an increase in Council Tax of about 2.7% for the average household in the town. This follows two years of a zero increase in the precept from the Town Council.
Article added online: 13th December 2010