A VALLEYS council needs to make further cuts today to tackle a £2.5 million hole in its budget.

The fate of Nantyglo Sports Centre, all the council’s public toilets, two civic amenity sites and other changes to services will be discussed at a meeting of Blaenau Gwent council this morning.

A special meeting of council will look at cost pressures of £2.5 million – it has found potential cuts of around £2 million which if passed will leave a burden of £500,000.

Amid dire financial predictions the council is also beginning preparations to find more than £10 million of savings for the next financial year, 2014/15.

Blaenau Gwent is not alone in tackling tough funding settlements from Welsh Government – which is facing funding cuts fromtheUK government.

Deputy Labour council leader Cllr Steve Thomas told the Argus the council is in “scary times”.

“The message from on high, from national government is stark, from W e l s h Government is stark. That has been passed on to us,” he said.

The new savings for the current financial year, 2013/14, come despite cuts made in March which saw the authority cut the funding for Brynmawr Market Hall Cinema, sparing Nantyglo Sports Centre.

A report to council says the budget for 2013/14 was an interim arrangement.

Many of the pressures on the budget come from social services, said Cllr Thomas.

The savings of £2 million include:

● Closing Nantyglo Sports Centre – although the council is considering making the centre a community-run facility, saving £226,000;
● Closing two civic amenity sites at Silent Valley and Bournville, saving £40,000;
● Closure of 11 public conveniences in Blaenau Gwent;
● Charges for bulky waste collections – three items would cost £10 with a £3 charge for additional items;
● Reducing the green waste service to eight months a year and the introduction of a £25 annual charge;
● Staff cuts in a number of departments, and reducing staffing hours in Meals on Wheels;
● Consulting with trade unions to reduce redundancy terms to the minimum required by law.

These matters will be discussed today along with plans for further cuts in the autumn which include the consideration of PricewaterhouseCoopers review of all council services.

Dates are yet to be set for the changes to come into effect, should they be approved today.

Senior managers to take redundancy

FIVE senior officers are set to go in a rejig of the top rungs of Blaenau Gwent’s council staff.

A secret report, seen by the Argus and to be considered by councillors today, reveals that five senior managers are set to take voluntary redundancy.

The new structure will see a new post of corporate director for strategy, transformation and culture created.

It’s hoped the new structure will give some younger managers more opportunities within the team.

It also aims to tackle criticisms levelled at the authority by the Wales Audit Office and others, and to head off the prospect of intervention of further special measures.

When approached for comment, Deputy Labour council leader Cllr Steve Thomas said: “The council wants to sharpen up its corporate capacity act and is looking to a brighter future with keen individuals to take the council forward.

“This is a defining day for Blaenau Gwent, pushing forward to the next stage of recovery from its troubled past.”

The head of trading standards, head of employability and vocational learning, chief regeneration officer, the democratic services manager and chief legal service and corporate support officer are all to leave.

With two vacant posts also set to be deleted, the number of senior managers will fall from 24 to 17 – it is hoped that over five years this will save £1.04million.

Meanwhile a new “coalition for change” will be drawn up where senior councillors, the chief executive, some senior managers and others will be able lead changes at the council.