Fairness, efficiency and transparency are behind spending proposals being put forward by the Leader of Blackpool Council at 8 February’s meeting of the Executive.

The Leader and his fellow cabinet members are proposing a revenue budget of £144.2m next year and are promising a £10.6m program of money saving measures which will ensure the Council’s budget is delivered in line with financial regulations.

The money-saving measures focus on back office and senior management reductions while ensuring front line services such as libraries and children’s centres are protected from cuts.

They also include ensuring eligibility criteria are applied consistently in determining care packages for adults. Day care services for older people are also under review as like many other areas in the country, the Council struggles to afford to provide the same level of service to an aging population.

Councillor Simon Blackburn, Leader of the Council said of his proposals: “The Council needs to save £10.6m from its budget as a result of cuts imposed by central government and financial pressures caused by the rising cost of energy and utility bills, but I am confident we are providing the best revenue budget I can with the resources available.”

The Council Leader is also pledging to accept the council tax freeze grant offered by the Government to ensure no increase in bills for council tax payers this year.

Cllr Simon Blackburn said: “There are well publicised issues around the council tax freeze grant and the fact it may well leave us having to find more savings next year. But I believe we have a responsibility to our local residents to accept this and spare them the burden of having to pay more in council tax when they are clearly already struggling with other rising costs.”

He added: “My budget proposals are based on the feedback we have had through extensive consultations, particularly around social care support and also directing our resources to where they will make the biggest difference to the largest number of our residents.

“I believe that this budget protects funding for tourism, but makes sure that community facilities such as libraries and children’s centres are kept open which is very much what our residents have been telling members they want.”

You can see a breakdown of the proposals in the full report on the Council website here (beneath the section titled General Fund Revenue Budget 2012/2013).