THURROCK Council Leader Cllr John Kent says he has instructed his new cabinet member for environment to lead a thorough examination of the department.
Last week the new portfolio holder, Cllr Gerard Rice, said: “I will be asking the Cleaner, Greener, Safer Overview and Scrutiny committee to work with me and with the environment department to analyse exactly what needs doing, what can be done … and how quickly.”
Now Cllr Kent has reinforced the message, saying: “We need to accept that some of the cuts imposed on the environment team were too deep and too quick. While we still need to make savings because of the £10 million cut in grant we had this year, we do need to revisit where those cuts might fall.
“For example it quickly became clear the state of some roads and streets were unacceptable – both to the public and the council – so we acted quickly to improve the situation.
“The question of grass-cutting and maintaining verges has also been brought up; and we’ll find a way to ensure these are brought back up to standard too.
“And then there’s the question of the brown bin collections. Yes the council as a whole agreed to ending the service and charging for those who wanted it to continue. That will not be happening.”
Cllr Kent added: “Over the past few years the council has been dealing with the most challenging financial situation local authorities have ever had to face – in peace time at least – and we’ve done our best to minimise the impact on local services and local people.
“It areas like this where the impact has been to severe we’re going to put it right quickly.
“What is more important to everyone is that we’re looking at having to make a further £10 million reduction in spending next April. Yet again we are going to have to look at every aspect of council work and see where savings can be made; yet again we are going to have to make difficult, even unpalatable decisions; and yet again we are going to have to cut some services.
“With that in mind, I believe it is the duty of every councillor, every officer, and every service-user to engage with us as we work through the budget-setting process for 2016 – that’s in every service, not just in environment but in adult and children’s care, planning, licensing and community support, a fresh and searching look at all the services we provide is what’s needed.”
