Council goes out to public consultation on planned cuts

At a meeting of the council’s executive committee on Tuesday, members agreed to put the myriad of saving suggestions out to public consultation.

The revenue budget report for 2018/19 and 2019/2020 includes measures like cutting school breakfast clubs and removing Christmas lights provision.

Councillor David Alexander said: “We have known this has been coming but little has happened in previous administrations to accommodate this – we need to change, we need to prioritise.

“We still have the Autumn statement to come and the possibility of additional resources coming our way.”

Provost Tom Coleman said: “At the moment it’s a consultation exercise and a huge number of options have been provided. It’s going out to the public and we will listen to the public and reflect their views and anxieties.”

Councillor Dennis Goldie said he was willing to work with the administration, but, at the same time, he voiced complete opposition to any suggestions of cutting the Christmas lights and doing away with waste collections in flatted premises.

He said: “We solved that problem in the flats – we can’t go back to having rubbish strewn around the streets again.”

Visit www.falkirk.gov.uk for a full list of the savings suggestions.