South of Scotland councils agree budget cut plans

Councillors in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders have agreed their financial plans

Councillors in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway have agreed their budget plans for the financial year ahead.

Council tax has been frozen but both capital and revenue spending have been reduced under the schemes.

One major casualty in the Borders was a £5m road realignment scheme on the A72 which has been replaced by more minor works costing £300,000.

In Dumfries and Galloway a range of cuts were agreed, but charges for blue badge parking permits were dropped.

Scottish Borders Council had already agreed plans to cut £6.2m from its spending in November.

Another range of actions has now also been agreed.

It includes reducing cleaning in council offices and schools, trimming the amount in the budget for VisitScotland, and switching off all heating in council offices over the summer months.

Dumfries and Galloway Council has also finalised its financial plans.

The Tory-Lib Dem administration put forward plans to cut £17.1m from spending but opposition groups tabled proposals for smaller scale reductions.

The budget was eventually passed but with a range of concessions on the cuts originally planned.