Peterborough Council says libraries and museums may not have to close, but the budget must be balanced with alternate savings

Members of Peterborough City Council have met (9 February) for a Joint session of the Scrutiny Committee’s to hear savings proposals to balance the 2022/23 budget.

Phase Two of the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2022/23 has seen sweeping temporary cuts made to public services since it was first announced in mid-December.

Last night’s meeting outlined in graphic detail just what those cutbacks were and how the savings would be used to ensure the council presents a balanced budget to government on 11 March.

Should Peterborough City Council not be able to present a balanced budget on that day, then it risks having control of its finances taken away, and put under central government control.

Members were presented with an appendix of savings to services:

https://democracy.peterborough.gov.uk/documents/b12168/220131%20Budget%20Book%2031st-Jan-2022%2010.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=9

During the meeting itself, Cllr Kirsty Knight said: “Regarding the savings to the library system, the proposal looks to remodel and modernise the library service so that it can cost less.

“But we already have a library service that is only staffed for fifteen hours a week so if the plan is to remodel it and modernise it, can I ask what that would entail?”

Cllr Steve Allen replied saying: “We’re doing a complete overview of the library service – that could include the closure of some libraries, it could include the repurposing and commercialising of some libraries, it could involve staff changes.

“Cllr Howard and myself are doing an in-depth study of the libraries and indeed, we’re referring to each ward councillor as we visit the library in their ward.

“We started last week with Werrington and in Eye and Thorney, which was easy as I’m the ward councillor for those and I could be on-site immediately.

“We’re moving on next week to Hampton and Stanground, but we shall be looking at all the libraries because we need to find a way to commercialise them.

“That’s not to take away the service from the community but to reinforce the continuity of our library offer.”

Leader of the Council Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald added: “This is very much in the realm of the ward councillors – they must have input into what Cllrs Howard and Allen are doing.

“There is no ‘done deal’ at this stage. As ward councillors, tell them what you’re thinking what you feel, what you know on the ground – that is very important.”

Councillors proceeded to go through each category of the budget for comment and scrutiny before the matter is put to Cabinet at their next meeting.

Towards the end of the meeting Cllr Fitzgerald added: “Setting this budget this year is more important than ever and if people don’t want to see it the way that I see then that is fine – but the council must come together on 2 March and agree a balanced budget.

“If people have ideas about what should be in the budget then that’s great, bring them forward; and if you don’t like something that’s in the budget then let your reps know or somebody know.

“But remember this: if you want something in, you’ve got to take something out. We have a balanced budget now with severe risks to that budget, and the risks are in releasing the savings.

“Everything that we don’t do – whether it be libraries, or whether we don’t close the museum or we don’t close Flag Fen or cut the hours down, it just adds ‘in year’ pressure to the budget.

“We, the Cabinet, the administration is listening to everybody’s point of view – and if you want to talk about it then it’s not too late, the finance team are here but they have difficult and challenging work ahead; but I am saying it again for the record: you are all welcome to input into the budget process.”

Cllr Shaz Nawaz replied: “What Cllr Fitzgerald has just said sits uncomfortably with me – there is an agreement with us to be a part of the Financial Sustainability Working Group (FSWG), but there was never any agreement or any discussion about us supporting the budget.

“Now, of course, its up to every political group and their members to decide if they support the budget or not, so I don’t think it is helpful for you, Cllr Fitzgerald, to instruct other groups what they should or shouldn’t do and I think it is also unhelpful really if you’re talking about working together and collaboration where the instruction at FSWG was to keep everything confidential.

“Then you go out to the media and say ‘the opposition groups aren’t helping us they’re not giving us any ideas’; you can’t have it both ways. Have it one way or the other, but if we’re going to have these conversations then I think it is better we have them at the FSWG, rather than here in open forum.”

Cllr Fitzgerald responded: “There are no instructions. What I am saying is there is an expectation – not from me – but from others. The Chief Executive has made it clear; the Chairman of the panel has made it clear, the reports to the council have made it clear. If you want to ignore that advice, then ignore it at your peril.

“As for me making comments, everything I commented about is as a result of comments in the newspaper and of published documents.

“Nothing I have spoken about has not been in the public domain already, and while it has been said that this is not a collaborative group, I sincerely think that it is a collaborative group.

“So, all I’m saying is, if it is a collaborative group then ‘won the budget’. If you don’t want to do that, then that is a matter for you. But there is an expectations of others.”

Cllr Nick Sandford added: “I have said repeatedly as members of the opposition that we are quite happy to engage with him about the budget to make constructive comments.

“But we’re not going to accept instructions from him on how we should vote when that time comes – that is not part of how the British Constitution operates.”

The next meeting of Peterborough City Council Cabinet is on Monday, 21 February 2022.

The next Full Council meeting is on Wednesday, 2 March 2022.

The council has a legal requirement to balance the budget by Friday, 11 March 2022.