24 Oct 2012
Birmingham leisure facilities face the axe
BY Kath Hudson
Council-run leisure facilities in Birmingham are in danger of being axed, as the Labour-run council warns that it needs to make £120m of savings this year alone.
A shocking financial review from the Birmingham Business School has revealed that the council has £200m more savings to make by 2017 than originally calculated. So from 2011-2017, £600m will have to be carved from the budgets, which represents 48 per cent of the council budget which isn’t ringfenced.
Concerned council leader, Sir Albert Bore, said there can be no more "salami slicing" cuts, and decisions would need to be taken as to what the council can no longer afford to provide, with some services having to be decommissioned.
Priorities underpinning the budget setting for the next financial year is "safeguarding the most vulnerable."
The council predicts 1,000 jobs are in danger, further to the 1,100 job losses which had already been announced.
A council spokesperson confirmed there are currently no specifics of how the cuts will be made. They will be informed through four public meetings, starting next month.
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