Council prepare for further savings of £80m

Pam Smith

Rochdale Borough Council is preparing for a further £80million of savings that will need to be made over the next two years - following a reduction in government funding by 2014/15.

Work is underway on proposals to help the authority save more money across all services, which will be considered by Councillors later this year before local residents will be asked to have their say.

Executive Director Pam Smith said the council wants as many people as possible to get involved: “We are looking at what the council has to deliver by law, and what will make the most impact in the borough given the severely limited resources we will have available.

“We will be making changes to our structure, organisation and buying, in an effort to focus attentions on front-line services.

“Where possible, savings will continue to be made by creating new ways of working that minimise effects on essential services.”

Funding reductions will impact on every part of the council added Ms Smith, she said: “It will be impossible to achieve our ambitions without the support of residents, and we want to work with residents to find innovative solutions.

“As always we will be asking local people what they want the council to continue doing, and ways in which we might be able to do things differently.

“All final proposals will be put out for public consultation and we’ll be talking to local people.

“Most importantly, we will be listening very carefully to what people tell us.”