Council spending and the cuts

Update on Council spending and the cuts  /  Working together to meet the financial challenge  /  Our communities and services  /  Where does council money come from and where is it spent?  /  How to tackle the financial challenge?  /  The scale of the challenge:your 60 second guide  /  Next steps  /  Financial challenge Q&A  /  Engagement and consultation opportunities  /  Formal consultation around the budget proposals  /  The truth about our financial reserves  /  Press release  /  Camden People’s Fund  /  Example of our savings  /  More examples

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Update on Council spending and the cuts 

We are currently in the first year of our savings programme and have already made £39.357 million in cuts and efficiencies – 47% of our target.

More detailed financial information is available on the budget book pages

Internal savings

We’ve made as many savings as possible within the Council in order to protect services to residents.  By 2014 we will have met over 50% of our funding gap through back room savings as opposed to frontline cuts.

Some ways we have done this:

• We’ve reduced staff numbers by the equivalent of 441 full-time staff since April 2011, with projected total job losses of 997 by 2014
• Remaining staff are working more flexibly and across different areas of work to make the most of their time and skills
• Our new Chief Executive’s remuneration package has been reduced by 20% while we aim to cut senior manager numbers by 20%.

Frontline services

We can’t meet our £83.5 million savings target without making some changes to frontline services.  As a result we’ve had to make tough decisions which will bring changes over the next two years.

Reinvesting

We’ve been able to channel some savings to support threatened services and invest in sustaining essential buildings.

For example our People’s Fund is worth £2.91 million and will help services and organisations facing cuts to find new funding and cheaper ways to deliver services.  Kentish Town City Farm has already received a £120,000 grant from the fund.

By reinvesting money from the sale or redevelopment of old buildings and land, our Community Investment Programme (CIP) has been able to carry out backlog repairs, improve carbon emissions and cut heating costs in 16 primary schools and a children’s centre.

You can find out more details about Cabinet decisions on savings in our medium term financial strategies (MTFS):

• 1 December 2010 
• 23 February 2011
• 20 July 2011
• 7 December 2011.

Read our latest press release on the financial challenge.

background on the financial challenge

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Page last updated Feb 24, 2012 3:44 PM