At today’s meeting of Warwickshire County Council, councillors debated how to spend the £3 million on-off Transition Fund money for 2016/17 allocated to the Council by the Government on the 8th February.
Liberal Democrat councillors came together with Labour and the Greens to vote for a combined amendment which secured a number of key priorities, investing up front in some services to gain future savings, and giving other areas the breathing space needed so that they can prepare for the future with less funding.
A total of £1 million extra over 2 years will be invested in adult social care, specifically in assistive technology, in carer support especially dementia support, and in falls prevention.
£600,000 will be spent over 2 years in front-line community work focussed on the mental health issues of children and young people.
Another £600,000 over 2 years will be invested in front-line family support workers across the County, building on the additional ongoing funding secured in the main budget settlement on the 4th February, and in line with the developing 0-5 strategy being led by Jerry Roodhouse, Liberal Democrat Group Leader.
Additional one-off money of £108,000 into the Library Service will provide the breathing space to avoid measures like the Sunday closure of main libraries in Leamington, Nuneaton and Rugby while other sustainable solutions are developed.
The vital work of the Road Safety Education on our schools will be supported by £100,000 to reduce its savings target, allowing a more realistic timescale to develop new ways of funding it.
Finally, £42,000 will be used in Fire & Rescue to maintain the work of the Arson Reduction Scheme, while £35,000 will help boost the work on developing bids for cycling schemes.
The residual £540,000 of the one-off money for 2016/17 will kept back to help manage implementation of further spending reductions required over the following three years.
Cllr Roodhouse said:
“We’re pleased with the outcome today, which strikes the right balance for using this one-off money. The Conservatives wanted to hold back more than we were prepared to accept, but in a Council with no overall majority they were unable to get their own way on this occasion.”