The ending of public space CCTV in the area of Somerset’s unitary council based on the county town of Taunton is among scenarios offered by the Liberal Democrat-run council.
In November, the council declared a financial emergency with a projected budget gap of more than £100m (a proposed budget of £493 this financial year, but a wished-for budget next year of £598m. Liberal Democrat leader of the council, Bill Revans, said that the council would look at reducing or even stopping services that it was not legally required to provide.
Saving options include (but are not limited to): closing all Council owned public toilets; ceasing the CCTV service; reducing support to theatres in Somerset; closing visitor information centres; increasing fees for harbours, beach parking and cemeteries; and closure of council-run plant nurseries. Each of these would save at most six-figure sums.
Among other proposed cuts in detail are no longer paying for ‘barrier protection’ for open spaces along the Bridgwater Carnival procession route, nor for temporary toilets for the autumn annual carnival; which together would save a five-figure amount.
Background
About 225 cameras are in place: at the county town Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil, Wellington, Burnham on Sea, Highbridge, Street, Wells (pictured, car park), Glastonbury, Frome and Shepton Mallet. More on Somerset, Surrey and West Mercia, CCTV in the December 2023 print edition of Professional Security Magazine.
Revans as part of a public consultation runs last month and this spoke of ‘very difficult decisions’, and a tough time for local councils, in the face of increasing demands particularly for adult and child care services (two-thirds of Somerset’s budget goes on such care). He said: “We have to be able to set a balanced budget and to be able to do that we will have to reduce what we spend.”
Last month the Local Government Association complained that central Government’s funding settlement did not provide enough funding ‘to meet the severe cost and demand pressures which have left councils of all political colours and types warning of the serious challenges they face to set balanced budgets’ in 2024. Birmingham City Council for example says that it needs to find savings of around £300m over the next two years.
