Leader at cash-strapped Woking council defends fees hike

The council is continuing to consult on leisure and car parking services and the announced price rises does not affect them

The leader of a cash-strapped council has highlighted the need to make savings as a hike in fees for services for vulnerable people is rolled out.

Ann-Marie Barker, leader of Woking Borough Council, said it needed to "find savings of £12m" in order to set a balanced budget for next year.

Councillors have voted to increase fees for meals on wheels and day care starting from January.

The measure could bring in an extra £1.4m a year to the bankrupt council.

Woking Borough Council has a deficit of around £1.2bn and an overall debt expected to climb to £2.6bn.

After the council entered effective bankruptcy in June, they had to make sure that all services considered non-vital by the government were self-sufficient.

Ms Barker explained that if the council did not "increase the income" from some of these services they would not be able to provide them.

Councillors last week voted to increase fees, meaning that day care services would cost £20 a day and meals at extra-care homes would go up by 20%.

Government commissioners were sent in to the council in May amid "significant risks" over its debt, which followed failed investments.

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