BCP Council set to slash services and take voluntary redundancies to plug £12m black hole in next year’s budget

A VOLUNTARY redundancy scheme is being lined up by cash-strapped BCP Council to help plug a £12m black hole in its 2024/25 budget.

But the authority has warned the financial pressures it is facing will force it to “redesign” some services and establish a voluntary redundancy scheme.

Residents in the BCP area are now being asked to have their say on future council cutbacks by December.

BCP Council Leader Vikki Slade said: “We have been clear when taking on this financial challenge that we would not shy away from difficult decisions.

“Our absolute priority is to deliver services that best meet the needs of our residents while enabling us to financially live within our means.

“We are facing the same difficult financial pressures as all other local authorities, and we are taking steps to avoid the serious government intervention seen elsewhere.

“Over the last few months, we have made really good progress in reducing the budget gap from £44million to £12million, but we know there is still work to do.

“We need to look at what core services we can afford to continue to provide and what we may need to change, do differently and in some cases stop.

“But we will be open and honest about those decisions, and work with you to understand the impact.”

BCP Council has published a mid-term financial plan setting out what it calls “significant progress” in closing its budgetary gap.

The report says many of its savings have come though its transformation programme which will “redesign services to make them more efficient (and) more cost effective”.

An authority spokesperson confirmed: “As part of these plans, the council will establish a voluntary redundancy scheme for staff.”