Cambridge residents must stand up to £3.5m cuts to services

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, […]

Job cuts at Essex councils spell disaster for local communities

Essex residents will be hit hard by plans to slash nearly 100 council jobs, UNISON warns today. Redundancy notices were served at Thurrock Council today, with 19 jobs slated to go in the first round of cuts, a week after Southend Council revealed plans to lose 80 jobs. Thurrock is looking to make £18 million […]

Eastern councils face ‘dire’ financial crisis totalling more than £330m

Councils across the Eastern region have a hole in their finances of £332m collectively for the coming financial year, making it extremely likely they will have to make huge cuts in essential services and jobs, says a report published today by UNISON. The figures, based on financial information gathered from local authorities across the region […]

Give Stevenage the life support it needs, UNISON urges

Stevenage Borough Council is reportedly on the brink of effectively declaring bankruptcy, according to reports today. The council is considering issuing a section 114 notice, which would mean severe cuts to balance its books, gutting vital local services and putting staff on the dole. UNISON Eastern regional organiser Nalin Cooke warned it would be “disastrous […]