By Councillor Iain Nicolson, Leader, Renfrewshire Council
LAST week Scotland’s public spending watchdog, the Accounts Commission, published its annual report examining the challenges that councils face. Set against a complex and ever-changing landscape, the report found councils face the prospect of receiving less cash from central government as total population falls, the number of elderly in our communities and the demand for public services grows. In short, we must find a way of improving outcomes with less money.
There’s no doubt the UK Government’s programme of austerity and changes to welfare reform will have a continual devastating impact on many. Local government in Scotland has shouldered some of largest reductions in the public sector albeit to a lesser extent than the swingeing cuts forced on local authorities south of the Border, where some local authorities face the prospect of effective bankruptcy.
So while we have been protected from some of cuts faced by local government elsewhere, we still face the same challenges in managing demand and public expectation as funding decreases.
Local government continues to have a unique role to play in delivering vital services to the public and because of our direct relationship with the people we represent, is often best placed to work directly with communities to shape those services, ensuring we target them in a way that will make a real difference.
Renfrewshire Council’s recent budget included support for those most in need such as support with costs of funerals for children – helping families at the most difficult of times. It also provides financial advice services, support for families who face difficult choices such as heating or eating and supporting children to ensure they can take part in opportunities to help them reach their full potential – whether that’s through free music tuition, taking part in sports activities or day to day school events.
We must balance day-to-day needs with planning for the longer term. In Renfrewshire we have a proud manufacturing heritage from the earliest weavers to the invention of modern day chip and pin technology. Our ambition for Renfrewshire continues to be the beating heart of the Scottish manufacturing industry continues with plans for the Advance Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland.
To be resilient for the future will require a transformation of how we work. Our recent bid for UK City of Culture left us a legacy that reinvigorated a pride in our place and revitalised partnerships across the public and private sector and gave communities across Renfrewshire a unique opportunity to shape how we work together. We want to build on this by our communities having a greater involvement in shaping and delivering local services.
Proportional representation in our voting system means that many local authorities will rely on political partnerships to ensure decisions can be reached that best reflect the communities they represent. We have worked with political parties across the council to deliver a budget that protects some of the most vulnerable in our communities at the same time as managing and planning for the changes we expect in years to come. This does not diminish our ambition for our area and for the people who live here and for those we want to attract to invest and work here. Rather, it reinforces our determination to ensure those partnerships continue to work for those we represent and ensure that everyone in the future has the opportunity to thrive.
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