Leader says to minister: 'See what cuts will do to the borough'

 The letter is included in full at the end of the press release

The invitation comes as the council tries to mitigate the impact on the borough of in-year cuts of £5.1 million and anticipated cuts of about 25 per cent to its budget over the next three years.

In a letter to Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Councillor Peter John says that the authority has already cut the amount it spends on councillors' allowances, created tough new safeguards to bring down spending on consultants and has started the process of discussions around sharing services with neighbouring boroughs.

Work is also beginning on finding new innovative and imaginative ways of delivering services cooperatively.

But he concedes that "even with this work, a cut of 25 percent or higher would be devastating for our borough".

The letter says: "We will not be able to make such a cut just by trimming fat from the back office or changing our ways of working; it will mean we have to stop providing some vital frontline services.

"In a borough rated the 26th most deprived local authority area in the country, cuts of this scale seriously undermine the council's ability to tackle issues such as child poverty, childhood obesity or youth unemployment."

Speaking today as he sent the letter, Councillor John said: "I want the minister to visit Southwark. He will find a borough that is on the up. But one that will only reach its potential if the council and its partners can continue to fight the causes of poverty.

"Southwark includes neighbourhoods with some of the worst child poverty in the country, some of the highest levels of childhood obesity, highest levels of violent crime and highest levels of youth unemployment.

"We are tackling these problems. But every time funding for projects such as free swimming or the Future Jobs Fund is pulled - that job becomes harder and harder.

"Before the minister wields the axe he needs to see what the consequences are."

Background

On Tuesday 20 July, the cabinet agreed that the leader of the council would write to the Secretary of State to raise concerns over the fallout from the emergency budget on inner-London boroughs like Southwark.

At the meeting, cabinet member for resources Richard Livingstone confirmed that the council faced in-year cuts of £5.1m and was anticipating cuts of 25 per cent to its budget or approximately £76m over the next three years.

At the meeting the cabinet agreed:

• That the finance director be instructed to ask strategic directors to identify savings of 25 percent over the three years 2011/12 to 2013/14 in line with the public sector spending cuts.
• That the finance director be instructed to put together plans for approval by the leader and cabinet member for finance and resources, for public consultation in the autumn on the impact of the emergency budget over the next four years on the council to seek the community's views on their priorities for services and savings.

Here is the link to the report.

Last week Southwark Council's leader signalled the start of a borough-wide debate about rising to the challenge of unprecedented government cuts at an event where he joined Mee Ling Ng, chair of NHS Southwark; Borough commander Wayne Chance and Chris Sanford, chief executive of Community Action Southwark in stressing the importance of working cooperatively to find innovative solutions.

Letter

Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Eland House
Bressenden Place
London
SW1E 5DU

27/07/2010

Dear Secretary of State,

I would like to invite you to visit our borough to see some of the unique challenges we face in Southwark and to see how seriously our residents will be affected by a significant funding cut to the council's budget.

Southwark is a borough with great potential. We are proud of our heritage as a borough where cultures come together, and with some of the largest regeneration programmes in the country we should see significant growth here over the coming years. But our borough still suffers from many considerable social and economic problems.

Southwark is the 26th most deprived local authority area in the country. It includes neighbourhoods with some of the worst child poverty in the country, some of the highest levels of childhood obesity, highest levels of violent crime and highest levels of youth unemployment. Our approach to tackling these problems is already under pressure with the withdrawal of funding for free swimming and the Future Jobs Fund.

As a council we have already made big steps towards modernisation and cutting back on unnecessary spending. Since our election on May 6th we have cut the amount spent on councillors' allowances, created tough new safeguards to bring down spending on consultants and have started the process of sharing services with our neighbouring boroughs.

We are determined that we can find new innovative and imaginative ways of delivering services to carry on this modernisation, but even with this work, a cut of 25 percent or higher would be devastating for our borough. We will not be able to make such a cut just by trimming fat from the back office or changing our ways of working; it will mean we have to stop providing some vital frontline services.

We know that the deficit needs to be cut and are realistic that this meant funding cuts, no matter who won the general election. But the pain from a crisis that was started by irresponsible, avaricious bankers should not be meted out to some of the country's most deprived and vulnerable people. To do so would be unjust, uncompassionate and unfair.

I hope that you will accept the invitation to visit, therefore, so that we can discuss these matters further.

Yours Sincerely,
Cllr Peter John
Leader of Southwark Council