Libraries could be cut, a day centre for the disabled could close and Tooting Bec athletics track and Battersea Leisure Centre could also be scrapped, according to a leaked document.
Last week we revealed an anonymous councillor had broken ranks to disclose a confidential Conservative Party document in defence of Councillor Malcolm Grimston, who ditched the Tories to campaign to protect Southfields library.
The Conservative group meeting document from June 23, labelled “private and confidential”, was sent to the Wandsworth Guardian and revealed a number of major decisions affecting savings in the autumn and winter.
The document sparked outrage with the Labour opposition, who have campaigned against the swingeing cuts brought in by the council in the past few years.
Sadiq Khan MP said: “From dog control, to graffiti service, to libraries and Tooting Bec Athletics Track, is any service safe from the Wandsworth Tories? I share the serious concerns of local residents for the scale of cuts outlined in these leaked documents.
“The Tories need to come clean. What services are they going to cut and when? We deserve to have open and honest answers and alongside local residents in Wandsworth I await the council leader’s response.”
Council leader Ravi Govindia said: “For more than 30 years now the council has regularly reviewed everything it does, debated everything fully and only after rigorous scrutiny decided on the best course of action.
“This constant re-examination and re-assessment is why Wandsworth has some of the highest satisfaction ratings of any council in the country - combined with the lowest council tax bills anywhere in the UK. It is because we constantly look at everything we do that we are able to offer the best quality services at a price local people can afford. And of course we always look at every possible savings option but reject any that would be unacceptable.
“What is undeniable however is that this process has become much more challenging because of the catastrophic financial mismanagement of Mr Khan and his party who destroyed the economy, bankrupted the country and have left others to clear up their mess.”
The document suggests the closure of one of two day centres which help the disabled and elderly; Gwyneth Morgan in Wandsworth or Randall Close in Battersea. It also proposes consideration of closure of non-town centre libraries.
Councillor Rex Osborn, leader of the Wandsworth Labour Group, said: “It’s shocking that the Wandsworth Tories are considering closing libraries, athletics tracks and daycare centres when there are still savings that could be made away from the frontline - such as sharing services with other boroughs, or selling off the Town Hall.
“Their recent review of executive pay has also stopped shy of the bold conclusions that would have saved this council serious sums of money. Instead, even on the proposed new pay scales, Wandsworth will continue to employ several of the highest paid public servants in the country.
“It’s clear the Tories leading Wandsworth are now divided, with leaked documents and councillor defections showing the cracks in this administration. If Councillor Govindia cannot keep the confidence of his own party, it raises serious questions about whether he is the right person to lead the council through the serious challenges that lie ahead for Wandsworth.”
Another proposal is to end the borough’s graffiti service and to decommission day care services and voluntary and community sector preventative services.
Other council services up for review include communications, community safety, staff terms and conditions, dog control, home improvement service and environmental health.
Cuts of £43m were approved for this year’s budget, as Wandsworth Council agreed to freeze council tax for the fifth time in six years.
Wandsworth has already cut its spending by £80m since 2010 by axing jobs, outsourcing services and cutting services.
What do you think of the proposed cuts? Leave comment a below.
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