City of York Council beats saving target by £2.1m (York Liberal Democrats)

York Liberal Democrats <info@yorklibdems.org.uk>

City of York Council beats saving target by £2.1m

October 16, 2008 12:00 AM

City of York Council has made efficiency savings of almost £11m, beating its target by over £2m.

Like every council in the country, City of York Council was tasked by the Government with making financial savings over a 3 year period which finished at the end of March this year. The programme - known as the Gershon Efficiency Agenda - tasked City of York Council with looking at areas where savings could be made, either by lowering costs or improving performance so as it make savings indirectly through a more efficient service. The Council was required to exclude any savings which would result in a cut or deterioration in service.

By the end of the financial year 2007/8, the Council needed to reach the target of saving £8.806m over the three year period. City of York Council far exceeded that target however, by saving an impressive £10.946m - an extra £2.136m more than expected.

Unfortunately this success is not being rewarded by the Government, and these efficiency savings will merely be carried forward to meet the challenge of the new national efficiency programme. This requires City of York Council to find £4.2m of savings per year over the next three years.

Cllr Richard Moore, Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Corporate Services, said: "I would like to congratulate officers for the magnificent effort which has been put in across the entire Council, to achieve savings of £2.1m above and beyond what was required by the Government. The Council has achieved this by improving services and working more efficiently, without cutting back any of our services, which is an excellent achievement."

"It is unfortunate that the reward from the Government is a more stringent target for the future. This authority has the lowest spend per head of any authority in the country and yet the Government are expecting us to find further savings of £4.2m per year for the next three years."

He added, "The District Auditor, in the Annual Audit Letter, recognises that City of York Council gives Value for Money, yet the Government are not satisfied. It withholds money it says we should have, but won't give us, and then demands more savings from an already stretched budget. It's about time the Government gave the residents of this city a Fair Deal."