A leaked council paper outlining potential cuts to services has caused “completely unnecessary concern and anxiety”, the SNP leader of Falkirk Council leader has said.
The report revealed councillors could be asked to consider drastic cuts – including shortening the school week and closing Falkirk town hall – when they come to set this year’s budget.
And the leader of the Labour group said the depth and severity of the options being considered shows that “years of underfunding” has put the council at breaking point.
In a bid to close a budget gap of £29 million, options drawn up by officials also include the closure of local libraries and shutting council-owned sports facilities.
The council leader said whoever leaked the information should be ‘ashamed’, and insisted the options could be changed or sent for further review – or scrapped.
Cllr Meiklejohn said: “I am dismayed that this internal report has been leaked and is creating completely unnecessary concern and anxiety among our communities and employees in the services mentioned.
“Whoever has done this is responsible for this anxiety and should be ashamed of themselves.”
She added: “It is the case that every year options come forward and show how the budget gap could be potentially bridged.
“Some of them will change and some will not proceed further as they may be unworkable or unacceptable.
“Some may also require further review – however, absolutely no final decisions are taken prior to the Council meeting on March 2 where all councillors can have an opportunity to debate and decide a final approach.
“That is the democratic way and ensures that all communities have their views represented fairly.”
Labour’s group leader, Robert Bissett said: “Falkirk Council is between a rock and hard place as it faces horrendous budget cuts: £29 million in 2022/23 on top of £170 million cut over the past 11 years.
“With this continual underfunding of local government we are witnessing the deliberate destruction of your local government services.
“The council is not supposed to be a conveyor belt for cuts but it seems that’s what the SNP administration is determined to be.”
He also strongly denied any suggestion that the Labour party was responsible for the leak.
Cllr Bissett said: “Could it have been members of her own party whom I know are fed up with these draconian cuts?
“We are just coming out of a worldwide pandemic and yet we still see these cuts to councils instead of economic growth and regeneration.”
Conservative group leader James Kerr said: “Despite steady increases in the block grant from the UK Government, the SNP in Holyrood have made the consistent decision to cut local council budgets, including undercutting services by over £250m this year alone.
“As the SNP’s leader of Falkirk Council said to the Scottish Government, “Scottish Government is not giving Local Government the respect it deserves”.”
As a minority administration, the SNP cannot set a budget without the support of at least one other party, either Labour or Conservative.
This year, however, councillors will be aware of a recent report from the Accounts Commission, which was highly critical of how Falkirk councillors had consistently failed to make “tough choices”.
It also warned members that they can no longer rely on using reserves to protect services and that difficult decisions lay ahead.
