Link Centre closure decision is delayed

Protest by Link Centre users about its possible closure.

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A DECISION on the proposed decommissioning and closure of the Link Centre has been delayed to allow for all consultation comments to be considered, it was confirmed at last night's Oldham Council cabinet meeting.

Last night cabinet members approved 37 budget reduction proposals, totalling £6.147m, and they will now go before Full Council for consideration on December 14.

It forms the first part of budget reduction measures as Oldham Council seek to save £20.315m from the 2017/18 budget.

However the cabinet agreed to delay a decision on the proposed decommissioning and closure of the Link Centre in Oldham town centre, pledging to review and assess comments put forward by residents during a public consultation period.

The future of the Union Street centre, which is used by support groups and charities, will be discussed when the outcome of the review and consultation is presented to the council's Overview and Scrutiny Performance and Value for Money Committee meeting on January 26, 2017.

In a statement, Councillor Jenny Harrison, cabinet member for social care and safeguarding, said: "The consultation process has been very helpful and many interesting suggestions have been made.

"We need time to assess all the proposals and to make sure that anydecision about the future of the Link Centre is one which takes into account the council's financial position and is sustainable in the long term.

"The council regrets that the withdrawal of government funding makes it necessary for us to consider these kind of budget options."

However other money-saving proposals which had undergone public consultation periods, such as a reduction to small community lunch clubs (£33,000) and a reduction in Parish Council Grant Payments (£10,000 in 2017/18 and a further £15,000 in 2018/19), were approved to go before Full Council last night.

Other items which will now be discussed in Council Chambers included a review commissioning of Smoking Cessation and Health Trainer service (£100,000), review Sexual Health Advice Service for young people (£150,000) and reductions in the music service (£20,000) and library service (£50,000) budgets.

The removal of Team Leader post from Strategic Regeneration Team Structure (£64,000) and restructure of the Council's senior operational management structure (£250,000) were also approved.

Council staff (except centrally employed teachers, Grade 1 staff, pupil escorts, apprentices and trainees) will also continue to be required to take three days mandatory unpaid leave between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2018, amounting to a saving of £756,000.

The proposals also suggest that the leave scheme could be supplemented with a voluntary annual leave scheme.

Staff will also see the two days leave for nil sickness in the previous year removed, resulting in £245,000 of productivity savings and £42,000 in actual savings.

The budget proposals which were approved will now go before Full Council on December 14.

Proposals which would affect staffing, including the Executive Support Redesign and Business Support Restructure and Transformation (totalling £400,00) were noted by Cabinet as staff consultation on the proposals will not be completed until December 23.

Three proposals regarding a collaborative approach with neighbouring authorities on children's services, were also deferred to be resubmitted for further scrutiny.

The implementation of charges for resident parking permits (£30,000), which was endorsed by the Select committee, was also deferred to allow the scrutiny of free parking permit schemes for visitors to be considered.

The report added that it is still early in the budget setting process and there are still key pieces of information outstanding which may affect budget reduction requirements, including the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, variation in the Council Tax and Business Rate Tax Bases and the announcement of the GM Waste Disposal Authority and GM Combined Authority Levies for 2017/18.

Cabinet members also hit out at the Tory Government and the Autumn Statement, in particular the decision by the Chancellor Phillip Hammond to not address social care funding.

Council Leader Jean Stretton described it as "outrageous" that the Chancellor had not set out any measures to address a £2.9 billion funding gap in social services, with councils told to consider increasing council tax.

She said: "It is a national gap and a national issue that should be addressed by national Government from income tax rather than pushing it down on to local authorities to raise the money from council tax."

Councillor Abdul Jabbar added that although last year the Government gave local councils the chance to use the adult social care precept to raise additional funds, the £1.5million raised was overshadowed by the introduction of the National Living Wage, which resulted in council costs increasing by £2.7million.

Councillor Jabbar said: "It is particularly unfair for a deprived local authority as ourselves."

Cabinet also recommended that the 2017/18 Council Tax Reduction scheme is not changed from the scheme in operation for 2016/17.