This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2013/jan/15/public-spending-cuts-sheffield-jessica-ennis-don-valley-stadium
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Sheffield gets a taste of cold steel as spending cuts hit | Sheffield gets a taste of cold steel as spending cuts hit |
| (4 months later) | |
| Last week, a leaked report suggested that Sheffield city council was set to close the Don Valley Stadium, the iconic athletics training ground used by the city's Olympic double-Gold medallist Jessica Ennis. "It's very sad that it's got to this point," said her coach Toni Minichiello, but not only was the leak true; it turned out that it was just one of a series of painful spending cuts and new charges which are being considered as the council looks to plugs a £50 million funding shortfall. | Last week, a leaked report suggested that Sheffield city council was set to close the Don Valley Stadium, the iconic athletics training ground used by the city's Olympic double-Gold medallist Jessica Ennis. "It's very sad that it's got to this point," said her coach Toni Minichiello, but not only was the leak true; it turned out that it was just one of a series of painful spending cuts and new charges which are being considered as the council looks to plugs a £50 million funding shortfall. |
| This is on top of £140 million of cuts that have already been made over the past two years, prompting the city's Labour council leader, Julie Dore, to accuse government ministers of being "completely detached from reality". She says the cumulative effects that government funding reductions are having on services are "dividing our society". | This is on top of £140 million of cuts that have already been made over the past two years, prompting the city's Labour council leader, Julie Dore, to accuse government ministers of being "completely detached from reality". She says the cumulative effects that government funding reductions are having on services are "dividing our society". |
| And there looks to be no let up. "All we have at this point" says cabinet member for finance, Coun Bryan Lodge, "is a need to find £50 million this year." More pain is expected next year and perhaps every year until 2018. Although he says the council is looking at "smarter ways of working", curbing the costs of senior management and outsourcing more services, he considers it "unavoidable" that frontline services will be hit. | And there looks to be no let up. "All we have at this point" says cabinet member for finance, Coun Bryan Lodge, "is a need to find £50 million this year." More pain is expected next year and perhaps every year until 2018. Although he says the council is looking at "smarter ways of working", curbing the costs of senior management and outsourcing more services, he considers it "unavoidable" that frontline services will be hit. |
| In fact cuts to services and amenities that would have been unthinkable even a year ago are being planned from April, setting the council on the road to becoming little more than a provider of basic statutory services. | In fact cuts to services and amenities that would have been unthinkable even a year ago are being planned from April, setting the council on the road to becoming little more than a provider of basic statutory services. |
| "Some of the proposals will cause real anger," Coun Lodge warns. Not least the threat to close half the city's libraries. Fourteen may shut unless community groups and businesses step forward to help run them. Other changes will see allotment rents rise by 60 per cent, arts funding slashed, resident parking permits double in price, new charges for rat-catching and half the public toilets across the city will shut. | "Some of the proposals will cause real anger," Coun Lodge warns. Not least the threat to close half the city's libraries. Fourteen may shut unless community groups and businesses step forward to help run them. Other changes will see allotment rents rise by 60 per cent, arts funding slashed, resident parking permits double in price, new charges for rat-catching and half the public toilets across the city will shut. |
| The council is also scrapping most discretionary school bus passes and every other children's centre across Sheffield – 36 down to 17 - a decision which saw around 200 people – mostly young mothers - attend a recent cabinet meeting in order to speak against the move. | The council is also scrapping most discretionary school bus passes and every other children's centre across Sheffield – 36 down to 17 - a decision which saw around 200 people – mostly young mothers - attend a recent cabinet meeting in order to speak against the move. |
| As if all that wasn't enough, a row with private care home owners is on the cards, with the council's health and adult social care budget set to take a £10.5 million slice from its budget. The council insists that individual care will not be affected but wants to curtail costs to care home operators. And although council tax will be frozen, that will be cold comfort for those who find themselves facing a 23 per cent cut to council tax benefit, following the government's localisation of support - which the council says it can't afford to cover – a move Julie Dore says will "take money out of the pockets of hard-working people". | As if all that wasn't enough, a row with private care home owners is on the cards, with the council's health and adult social care budget set to take a £10.5 million slice from its budget. The council insists that individual care will not be affected but wants to curtail costs to care home operators. And although council tax will be frozen, that will be cold comfort for those who find themselves facing a 23 per cent cut to council tax benefit, following the government's localisation of support - which the council says it can't afford to cover – a move Julie Dore says will "take money out of the pockets of hard-working people". |
| Any brighter side? Not much. But the council will perhaps be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief that calls to rename Don Valley Stadium in honour of Jessica Ennis' success, in a burst of post-Olympics civic pride, came to nothing in the end. | Any brighter side? Not much. But the council will perhaps be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief that calls to rename Don Valley Stadium in honour of Jessica Ennis' success, in a burst of post-Olympics civic pride, came to nothing in the end. |
| Kevin Meagher is a journalist and campaigner based in Sheffield. | Kevin Meagher is a journalist and campaigner based in Sheffield. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |