Council announces efficiency savings of over £18million
Tuesday, 21st June 2011.
Suffolk County Council saved £18.3 million from its 2010/11 budget - including £2.8 million over and above planned efficiencies, new figures have revealed.
The savings were achieved despite significant financial pressures caused by increased demand for care for vulnerable adults and children in Suffolk, the council says.
Significant savings came from reducing staffing levels by not filling vacant posts, smarter purchasing of goods and services and reductions in the cost of disposing of the county’s waste.
£9.3 million of the savings were an agreed part of the council’s 2010/11 budget. A further £6.3m were made necessary because of the Government’s emergency budget in June 2010.
Cllr Jane Storey, the council’s portfolio holder for resource management and transformation, said: “Suffolk County Council is a large organisation with a large budget and as such, managing costs and delivering savings is a difficult task.
"This is especially the case in light of reduced funding from central government. That said, we have a duty to use public money wisely and make savings wherever we can. I’m pleased to report success in this area last year. We plan to continue running the council efficiently in the coming years.”
As part of the council’s 2011/12 budget, £43 million worth of savings were agreed in February this year – the majority of which (82 per cent) were from cutting management and overhead costs.
This is part of a three-year period in which the council has to make £125 million in savings caused by a 28% cut in funding the Government.
The savings were achieved despite significant financial pressures caused by increased demand for care for vulnerable adults and children in Suffolk, the council says.
Significant savings came from reducing staffing levels by not filling vacant posts, smarter purchasing of goods and services and reductions in the cost of disposing of the county’s waste.
£9.3 million of the savings were an agreed part of the council’s 2010/11 budget. A further £6.3m were made necessary because of the Government’s emergency budget in June 2010.
Cllr Jane Storey, the council’s portfolio holder for resource management and transformation, said: “Suffolk County Council is a large organisation with a large budget and as such, managing costs and delivering savings is a difficult task.
"This is especially the case in light of reduced funding from central government. That said, we have a duty to use public money wisely and make savings wherever we can. I’m pleased to report success in this area last year. We plan to continue running the council efficiently in the coming years.”
As part of the council’s 2011/12 budget, £43 million worth of savings were agreed in February this year – the majority of which (82 per cent) were from cutting management and overhead costs.
This is part of a three-year period in which the council has to make £125 million in savings caused by a 28% cut in funding the Government.
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