Bracknell

Bracknell Forest residents are being urged to give their views on what is important to them, as the Council faces its biggest budget challenge yet.

The Bracknell Council is focusing all its efforts on minimising the impact on frontline services to the public as it prepares to try and close a £6 million shortfall in its budget.

The reasons for the Bracknell funding gap are:

* Increases in demand for the services provided to vulnerable adults and children. These can be life saving services that the Bracknell Council is required to provide.
* A large reduction in the amount of grant the Council is to receive from central Government this year. The Government has changed the way it funds councils and Bracknell Forest received the minimum amount - just a 2% increase which is below the rate of inflation and therefore a reduction in real terms.
* National increases in the cost of energy
* Increased costs of the supply of services such as street cleaning and refuse collection
* Bracknell Forest has the lowest council tax of any unitary authority (£876 band D) which means any percentage increase in council tax is a much smaller amount of income to spend on services.

The Council is also investing money in areas that local people have said are important, such as the regeneration of Bracknell town centre.

Bracknell Cllr Paul Bettison, leader of the Council, Cllr Mrs Anne Shillcock, leader of the Labour Group, and Chief Executive Timothy Wheadon, are now planning a meeting with Local Government Minister Jim Fitzpatrick, on December 20.

Cllr Bettison said: "We will be lobbying the Government to get as good a deal as we can for Bracknell Forest. In the meantime we urge all residents to take part in the public consultation and tell us what is important to them, so we can make decisions based on what they want to see happen."

The savings being proposed to balance the Bracknell budget include:

* Reconfiguring services and efficiencies - nearly £1.5 million savings
* Additional income - commerical rents, fees and charges - nearly £1 million
* Staffing - nearly £1 million savings
* Better procurement - £220K in savings from tendering corporate contracts for agency staff and IT equipment
* Service reductions of £0.5 million including

- Bracknell Flowers - will continue but on a smaller scale

- Voluntary sector grants - a number of savings will have to be made from the grants we give to voluntary organisations. We have no choice but to reduce these in line with the reductions to our own budget.

Full details of the budget proposals will be published from December 21 to Feburary 1, 2006 on the Council's website www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk for comments as part of the consultation.

A meeting for businesses representatives is also being held on January 23, 2006, at 5.30pm. Contact Derek Morgan derek.morgan@bracknell-forest.gov.uk or call 01344 352044.

Bracknell Forest Borough Council ~ 15 December 2005