Budget decisions set to cause disruption and upset despite toughest cuts being taken off table
dailyrecord.co.ukThe council budget decisions in West Lothian will bring changes both visible, and behind the scenes, that are set to cause disruption and upset.Some of the toughest choices may have been taken off the table but there are plenty of services that will either disappear or be diminished.Much of the savings will be unseen in the day to day service provision of the council.
But there will be a streamlining of services and service provision, greater digitisation and situations where staff are faced with additional duties.The biggest concerns of unions in the meetings leading up to the budget was the effect that any cutbacks would have on the remaining staff, workloads being increased and changes to working practices.The council has promised full consultation on changes but across the unions the local authority has been put on notice staff must have a say.It is in the front-facing services that the community will see the more obvious effects of budget cutbacks.
Those community centres not named as saved will see a review, which the council hopes will see community groups and users coming forward to manage the buildingsIn public consultation late last year officials noted there was: “some concern about the capacity of local groups and communities to manage these assets and that the council will need to provide some level of advice and/or support to ensure that communities are not disadvantaged.The consultation responses: “suggested that groups need greater support from the council to undertake asset transfer and obtain alternative funding to maintain their asset.”And the officials pointed out: “ It was highlighted that this proposal may disproportionately negatively impact smaller and/or more isolated towns or villages in West
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