North Yorkshire residents are being invited to voice their views on spending priorities as the County Council presses ahead with action to make the huge savings demanded by Government.

The reductions in spending, necessary to tackle the country's debt, will have an impact on services provided by the County Council. The Government has said local authorities can expect a cut of at least 25 per cent in Government grants over the next four financial years.

For North Yorkshire County Council, this would mean a reduction of about £69m over five years, including this one. The impact of inflation on goods and services and increasing demand for services like adult social care mean this figure will actually be higher.

Reductions on this scale will not be found simply by being more efficient, looking at how goods and services are bought, streamlining offices, changing ways of working, or using more technology, particularly as the County Council is already a relatively low-spending authority.

The Council will continue to reduce the amount spent on administration, management, meetings, travel and expenses where possible, and in the past six years it has already reduced this type of spending by £60m. However, meeting the level of saving now required will call for tough decisions, and it will not be possible to protect all front line services.

The Council is now looking at what it does and how it works to see where further savings can be made. As part of this, it wants residents' views on the approach it should take and the ideas it is considering. Many areas are being examined for possible savings, and this is where your views can count. (See the panel, below, to find out how to get involved.)

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North Yorkshire County Council is examining every aspect of its budget for potential savings to meet the spending reduction of £69m needed over the next five years.

The Council is already working to find the £20m in savings needed this year, leaving £49m to be found in the next four years. Action to cut spending on management and administration has been ongoing and will continue, as highlighted elsewhere on this page.

But difficult decisions that will affect front line services will have to be made to meet the required savings. This is where the views of members of the public are important.

Among many areas for possible savings are:
Older people & other adults
• Placements of people who are currently in care outside North Yorkshire;
• The way people with learning difficulties are involved in planning services;
• The meals on wheels subsidy;
• Night-time care services;
• Grants to voluntary bodies;
• Charges for personal care; and
• Considering replacing council-run homes with homes run by external providers.

Children & young people
• Expenditure on young people with learning difficulties and disabilities by focusing on highest priority needs;
• Funding for families who need help with their children by focusing on highest priority needs;
• Funding of the schools music service;
• The number of students who get home to school transport and extending charges;
• Funding to outdoor education centres;
• Careers education and guidance;
• Help for teenagers with problems; and
• Funding to joint services for young people with mental health problems and for young people who have committed offences.

Library services
• The opening times of libraries;
• The number of libraries;
• Mobile library services; and
• Considering alternative ways of delivering services, including community ownership.

Highways & transportation
• Highways & footway maintenance;
• Spending on public rights of way;
• Subsidies for bus services; and
• Road safety initiatives.

Waste management, economic development and the arts
• Opening times of household waste recycling centres;
• Economic development spending;
• Funding for arts projects; and
• Spending on the environment.

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The County Council has recently curtailed a programme of transport improvement schemes in the wake of a cut of £10.8m in Government grants, much of which falls on transport spending.

Twelve schemes have been removed from this year's programme and more than 20 others have been reduced in scope and cost.

Repairing the damage to roads after the severe winter remains the top priority and the cuts will not affect this year's highway maintenance programme. Wherever possible, schemes that address road safety problems have also been protected.

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