Aberdeen council cuts: What are the biggest savings being put to residents in bid to slash millions?
Aberdeen council cuts: What are the biggest savings being put to residents in bid to slash millions?
It’s not quite December, but we’ve already heard about the “very difficult” budget decisions Aberdeen councillors will face in March – here’s what we know so far…
Aberdeen school weeks may be cut short, and nurseries may close, as the council seeks millions in savings over the next year.
We have had our yearly look into the minds of Marischal College administrators, as the local authority launches a public survey on where the budgetary axe should fall when it comes to balancing the books in the coming year.
Accountants and department heads are brainstorming ways to cut millions more from Aberdeen City Council spending before the inevitable consideration of raising council tax is made.
They’ll be dealing with the unknown for a longer period of time this year, as the Scottish budget, which determines how much local councils receive from Holyrood, will not be released until January.
In recent years, the Scottish Government has revealed its budget strategy each December.
With the protracted uncertainty, the working assumption is that Aberdeen City Council will need to approve £18 million in reductions by March. Our review of the savings recommendations reveals:
- How schools could close early to claw back millions
- Just how much more you might have to pay in council tax when the votes are cast next year
- And how even Aberdeen Art Gallery exhibits could be hit by budget cuts
So what might Aberdeen City Council cut to balance the books?
The council has now put some extreme options to the public – gauging how acceptable cuts would be, and their perceived impact on protected groups.
Among them, a suggestion that has been dodged by councillors in recent years: to cut the length of the school week, which is at odds with Scottish Government expectations.
We are being sounded out on the prospect again, which could see the primary school week reduced from 25 to 22.5 hours.
That would save £1.8m next year.
Meanwhile, shortening the week at Aberdeen’s secondaries by two and a half hours, down to 25, would recoup another £1.7m.
An ongoing review of early learning childcare and nurseries could save another £125,000.
How else could education services be cut to save cash?
Tasked with considering all savings options, education chiefs have also identified the music service as a potential for cuts.
Stopping individual and group music lessons in Aberdeen schools, aside from those sitting SQA exams, would save another £1m.
There is also a halfway option proposed, in which free secondary tuition may still be supplied to students from low-income households, saving £708,000. However, these savings seem unlikely.
In an interview with The P&J published this week, Lib Dem education leader Martin Greig praised the relaunch of the music service he helped establish three years ago.
When considering whether Aberdeen City Council might hire more classroom aides to help combat violent attacks on teachers and staff, he cited music education as a “very difficult” budget to reduce.
What other budget cuts are Aberdeen being asked to consider?
On the same note, and given that around two out of every five Aberdeen schoolchildren have extra support needs, council leaders are seeking feedback on cutting ASN wellness and teaching resources.
This would have an influence on the city’s well-being team as well as the outreach program, which assists youngsters who are struggling to engage in education.
That’s worth an additional £540,000, and eliminating counselling services in secondary schools at the end of the school year would save another £233,000.
Only months ago, Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) was formed to fill the hole in secondary schools created by the demise of Mental Health Aberdeen.
Reducing the number of school librarians might save £210,000, while cutting cleaning costs by 10% would save £300,000. The cost of school lunches could potentially be increased by 15p, bringing around £120,000.
Schools aside, here’s what else could be on the chopping block…
Other money-raisers under consideration include the potential of a “small” entry charge at the David Welch Winter Gardens in Duthie Park, worth £50,000 a year.
Citizens in Aberdeen are also being surveyed on the possibility of reducing funds to combat poverty and deprivation, which totals £767,000. When citizens experience problems, they may get even less face contact with municipal officials.
Non-emergency enquiries about services such as “roads, waste, grounds, environmental services, environmental health, trading standards, parking, bus lanes, and council tax” would no longer be accepted over the phone, forcing us to log them online instead.
The £200,000 saving would leave emergency lines open at the council contact centre.
Aberdeen health and social care needs to cut another £14.2m
Separate from the council’s £18 million reduction, Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership must cut an additional £14.2 million from its own budget.
To stay solvent, administrators are considering suspending some services, closing buildings, or imposing fees on patients.
This may affect how many receptionists they maintain on staff, making it more difficult to get support or an appointment.
We may also face longer wait times for appointments with allied health experts, such as podiatry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and nutritionists.
Unpaid carers’ support may also be reduced, and services may be eliminated from the underutilised Middlefield Hub and Foresterhill Health Centre.
ACHSCP also wishes to raise the bar for adult social care assistance, implying that assistance would only be available to people who are “immediately at risk of harm”.
Sport, business and culture spending under the microscope
Looking back at the Aberdeen City Council records, funding for Sport Aberdeen and the Aberdeen Sports Village is also under review.
Keith Heslop, the new chief executive of Sport Aberdeen, informed us that they operated on the assumption of a 10% annual cut, worth £415,000.
That is one option; however, the public is being asked if they believe the cuts may be deeper and doubled.
It comes amid apparent upheaval at the city-funded leisure provider, with Mr Heslop “away” and the council recently intervening to prevent the nomination of a new chairman.
Aberdeen Art Gallery may also face budget cuts, with a £10,000 reduction in funding to maintain temperature and humidity around the highly valued pieces.
Budgets for VisitAberdeenshire, spending on promoting the city as a destination, and financing for cultural events and performances throughout Aberdeen are also uncertain.
What about council tax in Aberdeen?
Despite all of these limitations and limited opportunities for raising funds, council tax is critical to the Marischal College’s financial stability.
The tax increased by 9.85% in April, and Aberdonians are once again being asked if they can stomach a raise.
Each percentage increment is worth approximately £1.5 million, and the sliding scale being offered to the public begins at 3%. This would raise £4.64 million, while the 15% hike at the top would raise £23.2 million.
The public can also express a preference that the council tax not be increased.
SNP finance convener Alex McLellan launched the survey ahead of months of deliberations to balance the books, saying:
“We want to ensure that every resident has the opportunity to share their views on the services that are most important to them.”
“Your feedback is vital to making informed decisions that reflect the needs and priorities of our communities.”
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