Council reveal their 67 money saving ideas

CHARGING for Youth Beatz, closing public toilets, reducing road gritting, closing small nurseries and reducing council office buildings.

These are just some of the 67 cost cutting and income generating suggestions on the table at Dumfries and Galloway Council.

And the public is being asked for their view on these and other ideas as the local authority seeks to save £35 million over the next three years.

Other options being mooted include fewer bin collections, stopping using permanent supply teachers, getting rid of playground supervisors in schools, stopping free music tuition, increasing school meal costs, a rise in burial fees, introducing informal parking charges, and shutting small schools.

The council say they “face difficult financial choices in the years ahead” and they hope the range of potential savings and income-generation options will help.

But they want to know if the public agree so a consultation has been launched on their website, ahead of the budget setting in February.

Residents have until November 23 to take part and officials say the feedback “will help councillors understand what matters most to people across Dumfries and Galloway and will inform the decisions they take when setting the budget”.

In a introduction to the process, council leader Stephen Thompson said: “This consultation is about more than numbers – it’s about listening to what matters most to the people of Dumfries and Galloway.

“Every community, every colleague and every partner has a stake in how we shape our services for the future.”

All the responses submitted will be analysed and presented to councillors in December.

A round of community conversations will also take place across Dumfries and Galloway next month. They will be drop in sessions so people can share their views in person.