Tuesday January 31st 2023
Brian Farrell, vice chairman of Midlothian Federation of Community Councils, addresses the meeting.
Protestors gathered outside Midlothian Council’s headquarters this morning as communities pleaded not to lose crucial funding which supports the most vulnerable residents.
In a meeting that was quite sombre in tone, Councillors were asked to put a savings plan which would see community grants, teaching jobs, music lessons and library services axed or cut out for public consultation as they face a budget gap of over £14 million next year.
But they faced a noisy protest as they met in the council chambers, in Dalkeith, and heard two delegations before debating the document.
Lesley Kelly chief officer for Midlothian Third Sector Interface, which represents voluntary groups and organisations, said the withdrawal of community funding proposed would affect thousands of people in need, including more than 900 children.
The savings plan proposes ending small community grants under £1,000 this year and all large community grants by 2025.
Ms Kelly said: “We have reached out to the voluntary organisations involved and from their responses have worked out that 14,850 people would be impacted by the removal of the grants budget.
“It sends out a message that the work of the third sector is not valued and yet statutory services depend on the third sector in times of crisis.
“Throughout Covid the voluntary organisations gave 110% to support efforts and in return are seeing 100% of their budgets removed.”
And Cheryl Brown from Midlothian Sure Start said the uncertainty around whether funding would be withdrawn meant she did not know whether she faced making 18 staff or 57 redundant as centres close.
Brian Farrell, vice chairman of Midlothian Federation of Community Councils, in a very forthright speech, described the savings proposal document published by the local authority as unfit for purpose. He also criticised some councillors who had sent back a standard email in response to the community council’s email documenting their concerns.
He told the meeting: “The justification and impact of the cuts in the document are not properly investigated, in some cases it is barely investigated.
“The document is not fit for purpose. It should be thrown in the bin and the entire process started again thoroughly.”
And he added: “I would remind you that during Covid when you came to us and asked us to step up community councils rose to the challenge and now we are asking and making clear that it is time for the people in this chamber to stand up for Midlothian.
He said the federation had concerns about expectations in the savings proposal that volunteers would step in where services were cut.
He said: “The document represents wishful thinking, fantasy that services will be taken up by volunteers. There isn’t the pool of volunteers to do that and if the local authority doesn’t have the funding where on earth do you expect volunteers to find the funding to maintain, for example, public toilets?
“We are deeply concerned that the cuts proposed will disproportionately affect the most vulnerable in our communities, the disabled and the elderly.”
Midlothian Council published the savings proposal last week detailing more than £6million which could be saved by cutting a range of services with 174 teaching jobs facing the axe over the next five years and plans for self-service public libraries, scrapping school crossing patrols from traffic lights and zebra crossing and withdrawing funding for Christmas lights.
At the meeting this morning councillors were only asked to approve the document going out for public consultation which was unanimously given the go ahead.
Mr Farrell urged councillors to stand up for communities but acknowledged the financial woes of the local authority were not created in the chamber.
He said: “The crisis was caused by three historical facts – a long period of austerity, the council tax freeze and a funding model from COSLA that is no longer fit for purpose.
“It is an outrage that over £3million of council tax money raised in this county is sent elsewhere to compensate under funding.”
All Sottish local authorities who are members of COSLA are signed up to a ‘floor’ which means areas where populations are declining receive more funds than those with growing populations.
Council leader Kelly Parry said she had been ‘very moved’ by the delegations and wished the cuts did not need to be considered but told the meeting the estimated £6 million they would save were equivalent to a 12% council tax rise next year adding: “during a cost of living crisis I do not think that is an option.”
She criticised the UK Government for not approving Midlothian Council’s application for Levelling Up funding.
She said: “If there was ever a time to level up Midlothian it is now, I am sick and tired of turning on the news to another story about this UK Government. The UK is broken.”
However Conservative group leader Councillor Peter Smaill hit back criticising the Scottish Parliament for trying to ‘take credit’ for initiatives they impose but do not fully fund.
He said: “1140 hours, they don’t fully pay for that, music tuition they don’t fully pay for that either.
“Free school meals they don’t fully pay for so we are left with an impossible deficit.”
He said that the Conservative group position was that a fixed percentage of the Scottish Government budget should be given to every council, a ‘mini Barnet Formula’ which decides how much Westminster gives Scotland.
Councillor Derek Milligan said all parties would need to unite to address the budget gap but that the savings proposed would “decimate” communities.
He said: “What we have here is the end of our communities. If this continues we are going to be providing statutory services only.”
Watch the video below to see Brian Farrell, vice chairman of Midlothian Federation of Community Councils, address the meeting
You can also watch the entire meeting on the video below. Unfortunately there were technical difficulties in the chamber so some speakers, mainly the Labour and Conservative councillors cannot be seen on the video, although they can be heard.
