Petrus welcome reduced cuts

Councillor Lambert and his party will continue to examine every line of the budget

Members of the Rochdale charity, Petrus, have welcomed the news that the proposed cuts to the service will be reduced.

The newly appointed Leader of Rochdale Council, Councillor Colin Lambert has reduced the proposed cuts from 53 per cent to 25 per cent next year.

The Chairwoman of Petrus, Lynda Robinson, said: “We are pleased to learn that Councillors have listened to our arguments and that the new Council are proposing cuts which are less than originally announced.

“We do understand that during these hard times savings have to be made but the original proposals included year-on-year cuts which could have amounted to approximately 75 per cent of our funding over a four year period, would have had disastrous consequences for people in housing need in the Borough.

“However, 25 per cent will still represent a significant cut in our funding and will mean some difficult decisions having to be made but with some further discussion with the Council and Councillors we hope to avoid closure of any services.”

Ms Robinson, added: “We will continue to lobby and talk to Councillors about our services and what the cuts will mean. Petrus will carry on providing frontline services for our most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in our local community.”

Leader of the Council, Councillor Colin Lambert, said: “I am pleased that the first cuts of the Labour administration were to members’ allowances, reducing the number of cabinet members receiving a cabinet members allowance to 5 and the removal of all the opposition shadow allowances.

“My next cut has been to the proposal to reduce the Petrus budget allocation by 53 per cent, we have, with the help of the Petrus board reduced the cut to 25 per cent and will work with them to protect the service.

“Petrus are one of the sector’s organisations who are there to help people who have fallen on hard times and they make a real difference, saving peoples lives and helping people turn their lives around and being part of our community again.

“Their success stories are part of what makes us a caring community and without them the cost would have been elsewhere in our community and put pressures on other budgets, this is not just a caring response it is a practical and prudent response.”

Councillor Lambert, concluded: “We will continue to examine in fine detail every line of the budget and produce a caring but prudent budget for 2011/ 12.”