Devon County Council today came in for more criticism over its proposals to stop the treatment of weeds in Exeter.
Yesterday Exeter City Council's Leader Councillor Pete Edwards said the idea had come "out of the blue".
And this morning Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw added his clout to the argument.
He said: "The failure this year by Devon County Council to control Exeter's weeds has been bad enough but the proposal from them to do nothing at all next year beggars belief.
"Exeter City Council is facing equally serious budgetary constraints, yet it manages to do a...
A public consultation has been launched today (Friday 3 October) by Devon County Council on proposed savings to its highways and traffic management service budget.
The County Council has already reduced its highways revenue budget by £18.5 million since 2010. However, it now needs to cut a further £3.4 million in 2015/16 as part of the £100 million savings required by 2017, due to the ongoing austerity measures imposed by the coalition Government.
The nine-week consultation sets out a number of proposals to reduce costs, while still enabling the County Council to carry out...
People are being asked to help shape the future for Exeter.
Exeter City Council has launched a major public consultation as it looks to save a further £4 million over the next three years.
The authority wants to find out what services are most important to the people of Exeter at a time of deepening public spending cuts.
The City Council’s grant from central government has already shrunk from £12 million in 2011-12 to £7.7 million in the current financial year. Now it is bracing itself for further reductions, to around £5 million, by 2017-18.
Public meetings are underway to discuss major changes to Devon’s children’s centres service as the county council prepare to cut £1.2 million from the service.
The children’s centre service from Devon County Council currently offer help and advice to all parents, carers and children in a range of areas such as child and family health, parenting, money, training and employment
However, many of these centres, currently operated from council owned buildings, could be now be under threat as the council seeks to cut the service budget by £1.2 million (15%) over the next three...
A new style of more flexible Isas to encourage further saving are among the key measures announced in George Osborne’s 5th budget revealed today. In a surprise late announcement Mr Osborne said that cash shares and Isas would be combined into a ‘New Isa’ which allows savers to accumulate tax-free savings of up to £15,000 each year beginning from July 1st. In 2010/11 more than half of people in the South West were reported to have Isas an today’s announcement is thought to benefit around 648,000 South West Isa holders. Speaking to MPs the Chancellor, George Osborne, said: “This is a Budget...
Campaigners against proposed cuts to Devon County Council’s youth service have said they are considering legal action as they believe the authority may have violated international law.
The dispute came to a head last Thursday when 17-year-old campaigner Alfie Weaver was denied a chance to address the council at a meeting to set the council’s budget for 2014/15.
The budget included a reduction of nearly £1m to the council’s youth service which could potentially see the closure of the council’s youth centres after the completion of a consultation process.
A controversial budget making cuts of more than £28m to Devon County Council’s spending has been passed at a full council vote.
The budget outlines several significant cuts to the council’s services including the provision of day centres, residential children’s homes and the closure of youth clubs run by Devon’s youth service. At a meeting on Thursday, the Conservative-led council was widely criticised by opposition councillors for making spending cuts in these areas. The council has also confirmed that council tax will rise for the first time in four years by an average of £22 per...
UPDATE: Young campaigners against the cuts to the Council’s Youth Service have been denied the chance to speak at today’s full council meeting to set the next year’s budget. Campaigners had asked for three minutes to address the council before a decision was made on the future of several major services including the youth service. However Council chairman, Bernard Hughes had said that standing orders prevented parties from speaking in the council. Cllrs Claire Wright and Frank Biederman moved that standing orders be suspended in order to allow the campaigners a chance of address. Bernard...
Devon county council may raise its council tax for the first time in four years in an effort to protect its services against further cuts. Despite a budget cut of £100 million in the last four years the Council has to find another £110 million by 2017 with several non-statutory services already under review. The council’s cabinet met on Wednesday and agreed to 1.99% increase to the current council tax levels forgoing a government grant for freezing the tax for another year. Council leader John Hart explained the decision “If I accept a council tax freeze grant from the Government this year...
Devon County Council is launching a public consultation on plans to move away from a ‘universal’ youth service.
This could see nearly £1 million and around 60 jobs cut from Devon’s youth services as well see the council pull out of 34 youth centres around the county.
The council argue that the new youth service will take on a more ‘targeted approach’ which would see a smaller staff of youth workers work with council partners for a focused service for the most vulnerable young people in the county.
Speaking at yesterday’s budget scrutiny meeting, Council Leader John...
