Fears over future of local ward committees (From York Press)

Fears over future of local ward committees

9:19am Saturday 11th February 2012 in News

FEARS for the future of York’s local ward committees have been raised by the city’s Green councillors amid spending cuts.

The group’s leader, Coun Andy D’Agorne, said City of York Council’s budget proposals were “misguided” – they earmark a £220,000 saving on ward committees next year and a £54,000 reduction in funding for street environment and enforcement officers.

Coun D’Agorne has also criticised a planned £25,000 cut to the “target hardening” fund, aimed at deterring anti-social behaviour, and a £276,000 reduction over two years for the council’s neighbourhood management unit.

He said: “There are plans not only to severely cut ward committee budgets and street environment funding, but also to cut back dramatically on the number of officers who put into practice the schemes local people have voted for. The ward committee system was a pioneering initiative for which York has achieved national acclaim.

"In recent years, their budgets have been used to support valued local services for older people, young people and families, while targeting local community needs. When draconian cuts are being made across the council, ward committee spending is bound to be affected, but the extent of these cuts is misguided.”