Dudley Council opposition reveals alternatives for budget cuts

Ahead of a crunch vote at the authority on the ruling Conservatives’ budget for the next financial year, Labour’s leaders outlined some of the changes they would make to the proposals.

Full council will meet on February 24 to vote on the budget, which includes £42m in savings for the next financial year.

Cllr Pete Lowe, Dudley Labour group leader, said: “We intend to put an amendment into the current 2025 budget that would help protect some of the most vulnerable people in Dudley.

“If agreed by the council we would overturn millions of pounds for the most significant cuts, especially to the voluntary sector that is in the current plans.”

A number of services affected under the Conservative budget would be saved from cuts by Labour, including Dudley CVS, Domestic Abuse, Wellbeing Support for Carers and the Welfare Rights Team.

Labour would also scrap changes to funding for youth centres in Meadow Lane Dudley and Lower Gornal and cancel the disposal of Netherton Arts Centre.

Road resurfacing cuts and changes to grit bin provision will also be removed from the Tory budget if Labour’s plans are accepted.

The changes by Labour are expected to cost around £2.7m.

To pay for the changes, Labour expect to save around £800,000 by scrapping the current review of how the council is structured, called the Target Operating Model, which would remove some roles but four new posts of group director.

Cllr Lowe said: “The Target Operating Model decimates heads of service and creates additional posts at the very highest level of the council.

“What we need is not so many chiefs but far more Indians doing the work.”

Labour would find the biggest chunk of the cash needed to balance the books by shaving £1m off the £5m the Tories want to put back into the authority’s depleted reserves each year.

Labour would also reduce the size of a contingency fund set aside each year for unexpected demands on spending.

Cllr Lowe said: “We fully understand the importance of bringing up reserves, but we need to strike a balance around the pace at which we build that reserve.

“If you cut the voluntary sector as significantly as this budget does, you drive the most vulnerable people in our community back to the council because the voluntary sector will not be there to provide essential support.

“As a result, the reserves they are anticipating will never be realised.”

The Conservative plan includes putting up green waste collection fees to £52 from £36 which would add £560,000 to council coffers.

Labour would also put the fee up, by to £40 which would bring in an extra £140,000 each year.

Cllr Shaukat Ali, Labour’s finance spokesperson, explained why the charge would be reduced and why the group chose a reduction of the hike in green waste fees rather than other charges or council rent.

Cllr Ali said: “This service was put in last year, and to have such a steep rise in a year, if you look at the other fees and charges on average, there has been around a 10 per cent increase.

“Here what you are getting is a 44 percent increase and people are struggling whether you are in work or out of work, we need to be supporting people. “