Image by reader Peter, taken in Walsall Wood yesterday. Click for a larger version.

Reader Peter sends me this image of a notice that’s recently appeared in (I think) the public open space in Vigo Road, Walsall Wood – I have anecdotally heard of similar posters going up across the borough. Oddly enough, LibDem leader Ian Shires doesn’t seem to be crowing about this.

In short, Walsall Council are proposing cutting the budget for Play Areas and Parks Maintenance by £50,000 per annum as part of the £104 million cuts package to come, which will in all likelihood leave local play areas unmaintained.

Please don’t blame the folk at Clean and Green Services, they are only passing the information on – I know all concerned there are working hard to stave off the effects of cuts and are as dismayed as we are.

Of course, this is but one of a massive range of such ‘savings’, but it is striking that we could buy the Mayor a new car for the same sum. Good job nobody has dared suggest such an insensitive thing at such a delicate time.

Oh, hang on…

Perhaps the kids will wave at their Mayor appreciatively as the car glides past. Maybe there will be cake, too…

Date: 20.12.13
Please ask for: Clean & Green Services
Direct line: 01922 653344

Dear Users,

As you may be aware from recent announcements Walsall Council has £104 million pounds of savings to find over the next 5 years, meaning that the services we provide and the way we provide them will change, reduce or may not continue.

Walsall Council Cabinet on the 23rd October 2013 met to consider a series of proposed savings or reductions in services to save in the region of £19 million from the Councils overall budget in 2014/15 – the savings / reductions will be Implemented from the 1st April 2014. One of the proposals currently being considered is the reduction of the repairs & maintenance budget for play areas by just under £50k

At this point, I wish to be clear that this is only a proposal at the present time and the Council is currently consulting on all budget proposals in order to determine public opinion.

The corporate process for budget consultation will finish in January ’14, culminating in customer feedback being presented to Council in February 2014 to consider whether to formally approve the saving proposals.

We appreciate that the reduction of the budget may result in equipment being removed rather than repaired and therefore a lower quality experience provided therefore we encourage users to engage in the process and a specific budget consultation page and email address has been set up for you to do so – see below

Budget have your say

We need to save £100m over the next five years.
We’ll have less money in future, so we’ll have fewer people and won’t be able to do as much.

Where do you think we should be making savings?

For more information visit :
http://walsall.gov.uk/budgethaveyoursay

Email us your comments and big ideas:
budgetconsultation@walsall.gov.uk

Or write to: Budget Have Your Say, Walsall Council, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall, WS1 1BR

Alternatively, there is also an opportunity tfor you to provide your comments and or raise any question to Clean and Green Services at cleanandgreenservices@walsall.gov.uk