Derbyshire poised for £12m cuts, council tax rise and job losses

Derbyshire County Council is poised to make £12.3million of cuts over the next year.
Derbyshire County Councils Matlock HQ.Derbyshire County Councils Matlock HQ.
Derbyshire County Councils Matlock HQ.

A 2018-19 budget report states the organisation plans to make further savings in several departments including adult care, children’s services and transport.

The proposed cuts include a £500,000 reduction in disability learning services, a £300,000 reduction in early help provision for vulnerable children and their families and a £300,000 reduction in school crossing patrols.

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In addition, the Conservative-led authority - which has slashed its budget by £200m since 2010 amid Tory austerity - intends to approve a 4.99 per cent rise in council tax for 2018-19.

A council tax freeze is planned for both 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The budget report adds: "Given the level of budget savings identified, the scale of workforce re-alignment will be significant.

"The actual scale and detailed composition of job losses involved will not become clear until the necessary consultations are concluded and final decisions are made on individual savings proposals."

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The county council's cabinet will meet next Thursday to discuss the budget proposals, which are recommended for approval.

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On Twitter, Councillor Barry Lewis, leader of the organisation, said: “Unfortunately we inherited a budget from Labour that had cynically cut frontline services.

”We need to provide services with the resources we have.”

Derbyshire Labour responded: “You are cutting services, just as we had to, because of the austerity policies of central Government.

“Putting up council tax another one per cent next year hits people hard. The Government needs to re-think and you should be telling them that.”

In 2017-18, the authority - then Labour-controlled - approved a 3.99 hike in council tax and agreed to make £34m of budget cuts for that period.