Difficult choices for difficult times

Introduction by Cllr Derek Mackay and Cllr Eileen McCartin, Leader and Depute Leader of Renfrewshire Council

“The UK recession we’re only now emerging from has significant consequences for all of us, and the public sector is no different.

“Scotland receives a share of UK public spending in the form of a block grant, which is then allocated by the Scottish Government to fund the NHS, local government and public services.

“One of the major consequences of the recession is that councils will receive less money from central government in coming years.

“This will happen at a time of increased demand for council services, with a growing elderly population, more young people requiring care and more of our residents affected themselves by the recession.

“Renfrewshire will have to make tens of millions of pounds of savings in the coming years. The challenge will be to continue providing affordable and sustainable services with fewer resources. Some difficult decisions will have to be made and we have asked council officers, led by Chief Executive David Martin, to fully investigate the choices available to us.

“Renfrewshire Council has agreed priorities set out in its community plan and council plan and, throughout this period, these will remain. Our aim will always be to protect services essential to our most vulnerable residents, maximise the resources we have and develop new and improved ways of delivering services within our organisation and with partners.

“We’re also committed to leading the regeneration of our towns and villages and we’re doing so by investing in major capital projects to build new community facilities and upgrade council housing. Stimulating the local economy and providing jobs and training opportunities for local people, these projects will help us emerge from these difficult times in as strong a position as we can be.

“As we plan for the future, it’s important that people in Renfrewshire share their views with us about what local priorities should be.

“We’ll continue to keep residents, local businesses and partners informed about service options for 2011/2012 onwards. We’ll work closely with employees and trade unions to shape the future of our organisation. But we also need you to tell us what you think.

“We all have to pull together to tackle the difficult times ahead.”

Have your say

We’ve taken this opportunity to tell you about our priorities and the difficult choices we face, and we want your feedback on whether or not we’re getting it right. Please read our consultation paper:

Difficult choices for difficult times (pdf – 420KB)

and then complete our short survey and let us know what you think.
If you’d like to give your survey answers over the phone, call our Customer Contact Centre on0141 842 5000. You can also call freephone from mobiles and landlines on 0300 111 5000.

read the rest of the article here on www.renfrewshire.gov.uk