Hunts Council Cuts Agreed

24 February 2011, 12:10 | Updated: 7 March 2011, 17:12

Huntingdonshire District Council has agreed to make budget cuts of £6.6 million pounds over the next five years.

However, the Council also says another £2 million of savings need to be made up to 2015/2016.

140 jobs will be lost, plus some CCTV services will be reduced and leisure centre opening times will be reduced.

The authority has said it will spend the majority of its budget on five areas:

  • Waste collection and recycling
  • Support for vulnerable people
  • Support for healthy lifestyles
  • Strategic growth and planning
  • Regulatory functions which the council is required to provide

The District Council portion of council tax remains unchanged.

Last year, the organisation's chief executive, who earns almost £150,000 a year, agreed to take voluntary redundancy as part of the budget-setting process.

Another two senior members of staff have also agreed to a similar resolution, meaning around £300,000 a year in wages will be saved.

Leader of the council, Councillor Ian Bates, said: “We have had to make some tough decisions in order to protect essential services, but at the same time we feel it is important to retain low levels of council tax for our residents who are facing difficult times too.

Where we are making cuts, we are trying to do this through greater efficiency and working more closely with other organisations."