FUNDING has been axed for 100 police officers patrolling Glasgow's streets as the city council grapples with multi-million pound funding cuts.
As talks begin with trade unions to avert industrial action following cuts to staff terms and conditions, the council has unveiled it will save £3million over the next two years by scrapping funding for the additional officers.
It becomes the latest of over half a dozen local authorities to end the agreement with Police Scotland amid unprecedented financial pressures.
Confirming 1500 jobs will go in the next 12 months yesterday, the council announced the grant to support around 1250 third sector groups and the police officers would be cut by £6.15million in the next financial year, rising to £7.75m by 2018.
Leading figures within the third sector said the cuts raised concerns for services it provides on homelessness, mental health and addictions services, as well as sheltered housing and community facilities.
With over £130million to make in cuts and savings over the next two years, a raft of community centres are also facing closure with a £1.4m saved to balance the books.
Council leader Frank McAveety said the city was on the receiving end of "a double whammy of Holyrood cuts piled on top of those from Westminster".
But leader of the council's SNP opposition Susan Aitken said: "Not only has Labour cut its own manifesto commitments it has removed much needed investment for unemployed and school leavers through to slashing millions out of community facilities."
As our sister paper The Herald revealed last Saturday, the council's pioneering jobs scheme set up as part of the Commonwealth Games legacy has had funding cut by £2m, with wage subsidies reduced from a year to nine months.
The cost of breakfast clubs for school children will also double, going from £1 to £2, while janitors will be cut from one per school to four per five schools.
The city's hugely popular Glasgow Loves Christmas events will have funding reduced by £800,000, the council's magazine for residents is to axed, and public toilets will see a charge of 20p introduced.
Elsewhere, a number of pledges from the ruling Labour administration's last manifesto have been binned, including the free golf for over 60s with a saving of £100,000 and subsidised bus services. Only the route to the Riverside Museum survives that particular cut.
Other headlines include cutting the grants it gives to the trust running Glasgow's museums and leisure facilities as part of £10m savings, garden maintenance will be reduced to save £1.5m, while schools, museums, libraries and office buildings will be cleaned less often and to a lower standard to save £700,000.
Support for the Theatre Royal will be removed and grants for the King’s Theatre and Pollok House reduced by 10 per cent.
A Scottish Police Authority spokeswoman said: "The SPA recognises that local authorities across the country are, like policing, facing ongoing financial challenges.
"This decision by Glasgow, in line with others, demonstrates that policing is not immune from financial challenges elsewhere in the public sector and this is a consideration that is being factored into our longer term financial planning."
Helen McNeil, chief executive of the Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector, said: "These budgets fund lifeline services provided by voluntary organisations, charities and community-led housing associations and will undoubtedly impact negatively on those most vulnerable in the city."
A council spokesman said: “The budget reduces grant funding for big organisations with broad shoulders, including our own Aleos, and prioritises smaller community groups.
“Glasgow started paying for additional officers back when policing was funded through local joint boards. However, Police Scotland is now fully funded by the Scottish Government and benefitting from increased funding, while the local government budget has been cut."
Head of Unison's Glasgow branch, Brian Smith, said: "We await exact details including on staff conditions, especially around public holidays.
"The unions will fight the council where we can and need to, including the use of industrial action."
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