If you think cuts to public services have been woeful in recent times or that the town is looking untidy or unkept, then spare a thought for what’s coming. South Lanarkshire Council is facing a budget gap of more than £77 million over the next three financial years!
To address this, consideration will be required to what services the council can afford to continue to deliver and how these services are provided.
Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Resources, Jackie Taylor, said: “We are adopting a slightly different approach with our early budget indications this year, by looking at a medium-term strategy rather than just a year at a time.
“When we look at the financial years 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28, we anticipate the budget gap will be £77.275 million.
“Difficult decisions will need to be made to balance the council’s budget. We will need to significantly change what we deliver over the next three years with the focus being on statutory services. There will likely be areas where we will need do consider whether we can continue to deliver services and if so, what those services will actually look like.
“As in previous years, we will be consulting with our communities on what matters to them and will communicate how we do that in the coming months.
“We have to make sure people understand the financial challenges the council is facing.”
Like all councils in the UK, public services are creaking.
Our primary concern about these local cuts, is the sheer LACK of consultation taking place with the public, or in the case of the recent £45 charge for garden waste, the complete absence of it! We’ve already requested to be given visibility of plans and advance notice of proposed consultation so we can see what this means for Blantyre’s parks, maintenance of outdoor spaces, for the sports centre, schools, community halls, library and what else this means for council tax charges, recycling and disposal services.
