Knowsley to save £30 million next year

2 September 2010

Knowsley Council has confirmed that it is facing a budget shortfall of up to £30m to address in the next financial year. The announcement comes after months of work to assess the exact impact that public spending cuts will have on the finances of the council.

Cllr Ron Round, Leader of Knowsley Council commented:

“We have been working hard to establish the level of savings we will need to make next year and although we still await the outcome of the government’s Spending Review and grant settlement later in the year we do have a clearer picture of our financial position.

The amount we need to save next year is approximately 18% of our overall budget and will be a real challenge for us in Knowsley. However we are committed to tackling this in a methodical and responsible way that looks to find the best possible solutions for the organisation and the residents we serve.

We don’t think it is practical or appropriate for us to simply make blanket cuts across all services. Instead we are looking at all aspects of our work to identify where we can change or stop doing things while ensuring that we can still deliver our long term plan for Knowsley and support our residents.”

Officers from Knowsley Council have today met with their elected members and trade union colleagues to update them on the council’s financial position. The Chief Executive has also written to every member of staff with details about the level of savings required in the coming year. Staff information sessions have also been planned in the coming months to keep the workforce informed and involved in the work to address the budget shortfall.

Sheena Ramsey, Chief Executive of Knowsley Council continued: “This is a complex and challenging situation. The level of savings we need to make is unprecedented.

We have been working to improve our efficiency and save money for many years now and this work will continue. We will be increasing the pace and scale of our efforts to address the immediate shortfall and to tackle the on-going financial pressures which we know will continue beyond next year.

We will continue to keep staff and residents fully informed as this work continues and we plan for the long term future in Knowsley.”