Full Council next week will consider a paper on the budget situation, the steps being taken to identify savings and proposals for public engagement.
Councillor Jenny Dawe, Council Leader, said:-“The Council faces increasingly difficult financial times in the years ahead due to the unprecedented nature and scale of the global recession and the UK budget deficit. This will be starkly reflected in the government settlements we can expect.
The severity of the situation facing the Council was demonstrated in the budget set in February this year with substantial savings being made across all departments.
We are well aware that many more savings still need to be made. To achieve this we will rigorously investigate innovative and significant changes to the way Council services are delivered in the next five years. However, even with that, there will be some very tough decisions to take about what the Council’s priorities are.
To ensure that we continue to deliver high quality services that people in Edinburgh want we will fully engage with the public on an on-going basis to get their views. Close consultation will also be carried out with staff regarding service delivery and any changes to staffing.”
