Thursday 28 March 2024
 6.4°C   NE Fresh Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

News / Council cuts starting to bite

Councillors will meet for a series of meetings on Thursday and Friday.

COUNCILLORS in Shetland will this week face difficult decisions to deliver ambitious cost cutting targets.

To avoid running out of funds altogether, Shetland Islands Council has to save more than £30 million by March 2014.

As part of this programme, councillors are being asked to slash the economic development budget by more than 50 per cent to £2.6 million, and reduce the cost of schools by £3.4 million

Funding for the Shetland Museum and Archives, initially proposed to be cut by 35 per cent, is set to o down by 10 per cent over three years.

Other proposed savings include:

  • closing of the Viking bus station (£80,000);
  • withdrawing rural community skips saving (up to £70,000);
  • restructuring the isles’ youth service (£150,000);
  • shutting five of Shetland’s 40 rural public toilets and transferring responsibility for others to community groups or different council departments (£90,000);
  • reducing sport and leisure services (£100,000);

They will also consider proposals to increase council house rents by 5 per cent and increase landing charges for the Scottish Ambulance Service at Tingwall airport.

On Tuesday, council leader Gary Robinson emphasised the need to maintain the momentum of saving money while avoiding “wherever possible” compulsory redundancies.

“The reality of the situation is that the council has driven a lot of savings out of efficiencies, but it is becoming tougher and tougher to make the vast amount of savings needed,” he said.

“Up until now we haven’t really taken that much out of services, but we are getting to a point now where there is very little left to take.

“Any savings that we do make are likely to impact on services.”

The council has shed almost 300 posts over the last two years through voluntary redundancy and early retirement.

“What we have done up until now is to avoid compulsory redundancies, and it is something I hope we will be able to continue to do,” he said.

Meanwhile, concerned islanders have started a petition to save the Viking bus station from closure at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/779/076/786/save-the-viking-bus-station/

There is also a Facebook site at: www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Viking-Bus-Station/143447702480018

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 
Categories

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.