600 jobs threatened as Glasgow council plans cutbacks

Published on Wednesday 9 December 2009 11:45

SCOTLAND'S biggest local authority is considering a plan to cut more than £30 million from its budget.

• Glasgow City Chambers

Glasgow City Council's proposal will axe 600 jobs, including 228 middle management posts.

The cuts may see opening hours at the city's museums reduced and charges for some pupils for school breakfast may be introduced.

The council is also considering closing community halls, swimming pools and a library.

However council chiefs said no compulsory redundancies will be necessary next year.

The cuts, aimed at saving 30.3 million, will take 3.1 million off the council's education budget and 5.5 million off social services, as well as 1.7 million from the budget for Culture and Sport Glasgow, which runs the city's museums, galleries and sports facilities.

Land and environment services, which looks after the city's parks and roads, will have 1.6 million cut from its budget.

Cuts will also be made to the development and regeneration budget, corporate services, financial services, car parking and marketing for tourists and businesses.

Baillie Gordon Matheson, the city treasurer, said the budget is "tight" but will be "the best for years to come".

He said the council had been squeezed by the 2010 settlement given to them by the Scottish Government, which funds 80% of its budget.

While the increase was the lowest in the country at 1.5%, Glasgow City Council still receives more money than any other local authority.

Mr Matheson said: "We're living within our means while at the same time protecting key services.

"The Scottish Executive has given us the lowest increase in funding of any council in Scotland, at 1.5%. Obviously this makes the decisions we have to take more difficult.

"If we had received the same increase as the Scottish average, we would be in line for an additional 20m. And had we received the same increase as Perth and Kinross we would be in receipt of an extra 52m."

The council's cuts plan was criticised today by the SNP, which said it was a "rip-off" for the people of Glasgow.

SNP MSP for Glasgow Bob Doris said: "Labour have their priorities all wrong. Cutting public spending in the teeth of a recession is absolutely the wrong thing to do, and putting more Glaswegians out of work is unforgivable.

"This Downing Street downturn is already tough for people across Glasgow and these swingeing cuts will only make it tougher.

"The 2010/11 local government settlement figures show that despite the London spending squeeze the SNP has ensured Glasgow City Council gets over 25% more per head than the Scottish average, the highest funding per head of any mainland local authority in Scotland."

A council spokesman said the final decision on the proposed budget is to be taken by the full council in early 2010, and is subject to amendment.