Council financial chiefs are still mulling over exactly what this week's cuts to council funding are going to mean to the city's services.
Leeds council director of resources Alan Gay told members of the council's executive board that the final settlement provided by government earlier this week was 'extremely complex', but confirmed that Leeds was facing around a five per cent - or £34 million - reduction in grant from government.
He said this was complicated by £15 million cuts announced in June this year and a further £41 million 'funding gap' based on pressures on existing council services. He said the total amount the council needed to save next year would be in the region of £90 million as predicted.
Conservative leader councillor Andrew Carter said:
"This is the most serious financial situation we have ever faced in most of our lifetimes and the most serious financial situation this country has faced since 1945 and the end of the last war."
Carter said that £6 million had been earmarked as potential cost savings on staff - but queried how confident the council could be that enough employees would take up the voluntary severance/early retirement that was on offer as there weren't enough jobs for people to move to. He said:
"It's important we meet the reduced budget and work within it. The reputation of the local authority would be damaged beyond all repair if the head of services effectively took over running of the council."
Gay said it would be very challenging to meet the redundancy savings target but was confident there would be sufficent take up and said other voluntary redundancy schemes could be offered.
Liberal Democrat leader Stewart Golton said that he welcomed cross-party talks over the cutbacks but urged that they should be transparent. He added:
"We've heard a lot about the symptoms and not much about the remedies."
Golton also queried the cost - which he said was around £22,000 - of co-opting of Morley Borough Independent leader councillor Robert Finnigan onto the executive board.
Deputy council leader Richard Lewis said he appreciated that the process should be transparent. He said that it was important the Morley Borough Independents were represented at executive board and added:
"The cost isn't anything like you are saying."
Acting chair of the executive board said today's discussion was 'just the start' of the process of putting together a budget for February and that more details of what would be cut or reduced would emerge over the coming months.
A number of general measures were approved by the council:
• Reducing spend on the roads to 'core maintenance only'. Executive board councillors have already agreed £3.3 million cuts.
• Considering what under-used or outdated buildings the council can close, or transfer to another provider, including day centres, libraries, and even some sports centres, saving a potential £5m a year.
• Completely overhauling the way the council buys goods and services to reduce or renegotiate contracts, tighten controls and improve bulk buying which should reduce spend by £10m annually.
• Charging for some events and increasing charges for some activities and services – raising as much as £6m in additional income.
• Reducing its workforce by around 2,500-3,000 posts over the next four years, mainly through voluntary schemes saving £30m in 2011/12 alone.
Free entry to two Leeds attractions scrapped
A proposal to alter entry fees at Tropical World and Home Farm was approved by senior councillors today.
The plan to remove free entry for LeedsCard and Breezecard holders to the two visitor attractions and replace them with discounted admission was discussed. The authority says it can no longer afford to offer them for free.
Both council-managed venues – Tropical World in Roundhay and Home Farm at Temple Newsam – are currently free to visit for anyone who is a member of the council-run leisure membership schemes LEEDSCard (for anyone 19 and over) and Breezecard (for anyone aged 18 and under).
Tory Andrew Carter and LIberal Democrat Ryk Downes both opposed the move. Carter said the actual savings to the council were 'very small beer' and added:
"I am concerned you have underestimated the impact on visitor numbers. It shows a massive misunderstanding of the challenges facing this authority."
One partnership to market Leeds
A single public-private partnership will be responsible for marketing Leeds as a business and tourism destination, council chiefs decided today.
Financial Leeds, Marketing Leeds and Conference Leeds and Leeds council's Visit Leeds and Locate in Leeds teams will become one organisation in a bid to save money.
The move comes as the council faces major budget cutbacks and after Financial Leeds and Marketing Leeds have lost funding from the doomed regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.
Kippax cemetery
The executive board agreed to the plan to bring into use a cemetery extension in Kippax, which will provide over 200 new burial plots.
Work is now beinn completed to prepare a piece of land adjacent to Robinson Lane in Kippax. The burial grounds of Kippax Cemetery will be extended into this area.
The council authorised Kippax Parish Council to take over the management of the new cemetery on behalf of the village. A report said there could be long-term revenue savings to the city council over the duration of the lease, which would be over 99 ears and see Leeds receive a peppercorn rent.
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