Proposed savings of milllion's was said years ago.

I have had an interesting meeting with Council officials who have confirmed that some of the suggestions I had previously put forward at Budget Meetings have since been implemented by the Council.

Each year the Council hold a Budget Meeting to discuss costs incurred by the Council - with a view to reducing expenditure, and every year it is the same story!  Any suggestions put forward by Opposition Councillors are immediately brushed aside by Labour.

Back in 2012 here: http://garethfairhurst.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/wigan-council-spend-500k-on-legal-fees.html I declared it was ridiculous that the Council keep looking outside for legal advice whilst already having its own Legal Department and solicitors at its disposal - I suggested that the Council hire their own Barrister as this would help to reduce costs.  It has been confirmed that the Legal bill is around the level it was in 2012, but from next year the Council will be looking to reduce the bill by £200,000 and one way of realising this reduction would be to hire their own in-house Barrister. 

 

By implementing the changes which I suggested in 2012 demonstrates the Council having come round to my way of thinking - in effect they have admitted that I was right all along.  Of course, it is great that savings will now be made - but had Labour taken on board my suggestions back in 2012 they would have saved themselves at least £600,000.

 

On another issue, back in 2013 here: http://garethfairhurst.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-week-that-ended24-march-2013.html I recommended that Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust be brought back under the control of Wigan Council.  At the time, Opposition Councillors echoed my sentiments because we all felt very strongly about the proposed cuts to front line services.  I can now announce that from April of this year that the majority of WLCT will be brought back under the control of Wigan Council - but once again, had Labour acted on my suggestions earlier, they could have saved millions of pounds which would have resulted in fewer cuts to front-line services.

 

Who knows, maybe 2015 will be the year that sees Labour listening to and taking on board the views of their Opposition counterparts - it would be nice to think that Labour is now open to common sense solutions.