CLACKMANNANSHIRE Council’s 2015/16 budget was set last week, during a Special Council Meeting on Tuesday (24 February) The revenue budget of £115.211 million for the year ahead was carried by votes from the administration and independent councillor Archie Drummond.

It also outlined savings amounting to £3.017 million.

Council leader, councillor Les Sharp, believes the budget sets out a clear direction.

He said: “The council has faced some serious challenges in setting our budget within an atmosphere of austerity in the public sector.

“We have worked hard to listen to our communities and create and deliver a budget which sets out a clear and explicit direction for the future delivery of essential services in Clackmannanshire.

“This budget takes the lessons we’ve already learned from the Making Clackmannanshire Better (MCB) programme and embeds them into our planning for the future.

“It’s clear that we cannot get there in one leap, and it is necessary to listen to our stakeholders and make investment to support the programme.” According to the council, community hubs will be developed to deliver better integrated services, relevant to the local context.

Proactively declared ‘surplus assets’ will be disposed of as appropriate and capital funding of £9.475 million will be invested in projects in the year ahead to support MCB.

The council will enter into formal negotiation with trade union representatives in respect of redefining the working week and increasing the period between incremental progression to 18 months, from 12.

Savings will be made through moving to a three weekly waste collection (£25,000), the review of the working week (£150,000), ceasing to maintain non-council owned land (£100,000), a revision of current Forth Valley CCTV arrangements (£61,840) and a review of support to local police provision (£99,310).

Money will be taken from supported bus services (£60,000), burial charges will increase (£55,000) and charges will be introduced for the summer swimming programme (£31,000).

Planned future investment within the council will include school and community hubs (£11.25 million over the years 2016/17 to 2019/20), Village and Small Town Centre initiatives (averaging £296,000 per annum aligned with community hubs), roads and footways improvements (averaging £1.86 million over the next five years), parks and play areas (maintained at £50,000 each year aligned to community hubs), demolition of former Alva Pool (costing £150,000) and adaptations to St Serf’s Primary School to accommodate increased pupil numbers (£200,000).

Money will be put into community grants funding (averaging £130,000 per annum), ICT Strategy to upgrade school infrastructure in both primary and secondary schools (increased recurrent investment of £240,000 per annum) and street lighting improvements aligned to community hubs (on average £468,000 per annum).

CLACKMANNANSHIRE Council’s 2015/16 budget was set last week, during a Special Council Meeting on Tuesday (24 February) The revenue budget of £115.211 million for the year ahead was carried by votes from the administration and independent councillor Archie Drummond.

It also outlined savings amounting to £3.017 million.

Council leader, councillor Les Sharp, believes the budget sets out a clear direction.

He said: “The council has faced some serious challenges in setting our budget within an atmosphere of austerity in the public sector.

“We have worked hard to listen to our communities and create and deliver a budget which sets out a clear and explicit direction for the future delivery of essential services in Clackmannanshire.

“This budget takes the lessons we’ve already learned from the Making Clackmannanshire Better (MCB) programme and embeds them into our planning for the future.

“It’s clear that we cannot get there in one leap, and it is necessary to listen to our stakeholders and make investment to support the programme.” According to the council, community hubs will be developed to deliver better integrated services, relevant to the local context.

Proactively declared ‘surplus assets’ will be disposed of as appropriate and capital funding of £9.475 million will be invested in projects in the year ahead to support MCB.

The council will enter into formal negotiation with trade union representatives in respect of redefining the working week and increasing the period between incremental progression to 18 months, from 12.

Savings will be made through moving to a three weekly waste collection (£25,000), the review of the working week (£150,000), ceasing to maintain non-council owned land (£100,000), a revision of current Forth Valley CCTV arrangements (£61,840) and a review of support to local police provision (£99,310).

Money will be taken from supported bus services (£60,000), burial charges will increase (£55,000) and charges will be introduced for the summer swimming programme (£31,000).

Planned future investment within the council will include school and community hubs (£11.25 million over the years 2016/17 to 2019/20), Village and Small Town Centre initiatives (averaging £296,000 per annum aligned with community hubs), roads and footways improvements (averaging £1.86 million over the next five years), parks and play areas (maintained at £50,000 each year aligned to community hubs), demolition of former Alva Pool (costing £150,000) and adaptations to St Serf’s Primary School to accommodate increased pupil numbers (£200,000).

Money will be put into community grants funding (averaging £130,000 per annum), ICT Strategy to upgrade school infrastructure in both primary and secondary schools (increased recurrent investment of £240,000 per annum) and street lighting improvements aligned to community hubs (on average £468,000 per annum).