Northamptonshire County Council’s Funding Fiasco The new Tory administration, elected to power in May of last year after 12 years in opposition, have plunged the Council into chaos after announcing almost £20 million pounds of cuts. The service cuts will hit hard at Youth services, older and disabled people’s services and will shed 1000 jobs at the embattled Council. It will see the end in funding of several highly regarded voluntary and community sector organisations providing invaluable services to the County’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. A High Court injunction made by over 100 disabled people exerting their rights under the Disability Discrimination Act leaves the Council in chaos as it attempts to reset budgets and the increase in the costs of Community Charges. As Outake goes to press it is understood that the last year of funding
of a three year contract for NLGBA is secure but the Executive Committee
predict that the funding will be greatly reduced in 2007/08 |