Bankrupt Woking Borough Council plans £12m in cuts next year

Much of the authority's debt has come from regeneration of the town centre and housing

Proposals to save £12m in the next financial year at bankrupt Woking Borough Council have been put forward.

Initial plans include internal savings at the authority - but consultation on closing a range of public-facing services starts in October.

It follows a public consultation that found residents most valued parks, safety and cleanliness, followed by access to pools and leisure services.

Papers referred to a £12m target but said the budget gap was now £19.3m.

The council issued a Section 114 notice in June with overall debts set to hit £2.6bn.

Council leader Ann-Marie Barker said the plans would significantly impact the delivery of public services, adding: "These are not easy proposals to make but, due to the financial challenges that my administration inherited, we have little choice."

She said that residents' concerns had been taken account of "wherever possible".

Councillors will determine the future of services at a full council meeting in February.

Further consultation beginning on 2 October will look at the following:

• Alternative arts funding sources

• A phased closure of Pool in the Park

• The removal of funding for sports pavilions

• Closures of public toilets

• Ceasing the community grants scheme

• Translation services

• The Cafe at the Vyne which provides hot lunchtime meals for older or vulnerable residents

• Community centre day care for frail or vulnerable residents

Analysis

By Jack Fiehn, political reporter, BBC Radio Surrey

For several months, Woking residents have been told that difficult decisions will have to be made.

But while the potential job cuts and internal changes within the council itself had been well signposted, otherwise it hasn't been clear what this might mean.

Now though, we're starting to get a real idea of the scale of the cuts and what this could mean for different groups and organisations.

The council effectively declared itself bankrupt when it halted all new spending in June

The plans have been set out in the council's medium term financial strategy, which includes a list of proposed cuts.

Areas set out for further investigation include savings on leisure services.

Data from a survey asking residents about future services has also been published on its website.

Analysis said the top three most highly-valued services across all demographics were access to parks, play areas and green spaces, closely followed by keeping the borough a safe place for everyone and keeping streets clean.

Access to swimming pools and access to leisure facilities at came fourth and fifth.

They were followed by supporting older people to live independently and supporting families and young people.

The overview and scrutiny committee will look at the plans on Monday.

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