Kirklees Council plan to cut spending on young people and road repairs by £4.3m

Oct 9 2010 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

CHILDREN and motorists will suffer in the latest round of Kirklees Council cuts.

Councillors will meet this week to consider a plan to slash £4.3m from this year’s budget.

The spending cuts are being forced on Kirklees by the Government, which has ordered all councils to reduce their 2010/11 spending.

Kirklees officers have drawn up a plan to slash the £30.8m children and young people budget by £2.99m.

Areas in line for cuts include:

Teenage pregnancy service

Child and adolescent mental health support

School transport

Housing support for young people

Help for young people with alcohol and drug problems

Council officers fear the cuts will lead to 17 youth workers losing their jobs.

Kirklees staff have also drawn up a plan to cut the council’s highways capital budget of £28.62m by £1.33m.

Cuts would include:

£226,000 from the £1.54m fund to reduce accidents

£357,000 from the £2.62m set aside to improve public transport

£176,000 from the £626,000 fund to resurface roads in town centres

£80,000 from the £438,000 set aside to improve school routes

The council’s Cabinet will consider the plans at its meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall at 10am on Friday.