Cambridge residents are being urged to oppose “unnecessary” proposals to cut £3.5 million of services in the city council’s budget consultation, UNISON says today.
Despite having millions in reserves, Cambridge City Council is consulting residents on changes to scale back frontline services, including reducing street cleaning, closing public toilets, giving up control of community centres, bringing in new charges for pest control services, says the union.
UNISON warns that the cuts — which follow £2.5m being shaved off last year’s budget — will result in worse services for residents and will lead to on-going job losses.
The union warns that local government across the country is in a dire financial state. A UNISON report in September, Councils on the Brink, found that local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales face a combined shortfall of £8.5 billion by 2026/27 unless central government steps in to stabilise local finances.
But the union says Cambridge is comparatively well off and doesn’t need to make drastic cuts to balance the books. It is urging residents to respond to the consultation before 4 December and show how much they value public services.
UNISON Cambridge City branch secretary Liz Brennan said: “More than a decade of austerity has left local government finances in a terrible state, but Cambridge simply doesn’t need to make these unnecessary cuts.
“The council has not properly explained the benefits of how services are currently provided in their consultation, but we know that local residents and businesses value them.
“They must now make their voices heard for clean streets, pest control, community centres and other services in the city and take a stand against these cuts.”
