Summary of the proposed cuts to Brighton & Hove City Council budget for 2015-16

1. Brighton & Hove budget cuts
2015-16
• Adult services: £3.25 million cut
• Sport, culture, democratic involvement,
community grants: £1.24 million cut
• Children’s services: £812,000 cut
• Environment, development & housing: £3.5
million cut
• Finance and benefits: £1.8 million cut
• Public health: £372,000 cut

2. Part A:
Cuts to services for
vulnerable
residents

3. Adult Social Care
£3.25 million cuts to services for
older people, people with learning
disabilities and people with mental
health needs, including:
• Fewer beds in Older People’s
Resource Centres
• Everyone’s care package to be
reviewed
• Cuts to funding for voluntary
sector providers
• Cuts and privatisation of homecare
service
• Cut to Able & Willing subsidy

4. Changes to Council Tax
Reduction and Housing
Benefit
• No Council Tax Reduction for
anyone with savings over £6,000
(down from £16,000)
• No Council Tax Reduction for
people who share a house with
others on low incomes
• Double contribution required of
adult children still living at home
• Cuts to staff who help vulnerable
people make claims
• Move to 100% online claim system

5. Environment, transport,
planning & housing
• Closure of some public toilets and
cuts to opening hours of others
• Cuts to bus services on routes 21,
21A, 21B, 38A, 84
• Removal of parking meters – pay
by phone only
• Cut to support for energy
efficiency improvements to homes
in the city
• Cut to Supporting People funding
for most vulnerable residents

6. Impact on vulnerable
people
“Budget reductions across the
organisation for services for
vulnerable adults at a time of
increased pressures on services
(homelessness and rough sleeping in
the city continue to rise), welfare
reform changes and rising rents will
lead to considerable negative
cumulative impacts on vulnerable
people in the city with housing and
support needs.”
Equality Impact Assessment (Appendix 8 of draft budget), page
74

7. Part B:
Cuts to services for
children and young
people

8. Youth work and play
• No funding at all for youth work in
the city – youth centres will be
forced to close
• Closure of the council’s Play
Service
• Closure of four Children’s centres
(West Hove, Cornerstone, City
View, Hollingbury & Patcham)
• Cuts to open groups at other
centres
• Funding cuts for Early Childhood
Project & Brighton Unemployed
Centre

9. Nurseries and childcare
• Review of council nurseries:
Roundabout, Jump Start and
Tarnerland – aim of review is to
remove council subsidy
• Cut support to providers of out-of-
school childcare
• Stop running Moulsecoomb
summer playscheme
• No more cheaper playschemes and
after school clubs for children on
free school meals
• Cut support for childminders

10. Services for children in
most need
• Cuts to social work posts in
Fostering and Adoption service:
reduced support for foster carers,
more cuts to come after a review
• Cuts to respite care and speech
therapy
• Cut to Sensory Need Service for
deaf children under 2
• Cuts to home-school transport for
disabled children

11. Part C:
Cuts to culture,
sport, community
life and democracy

12. Museums and
libraries
• Entry charges to all museums for
visitors from outside the city
• Charges for computer use at
libraries, after first hour
• Charges for events and activities at
libraries

13. Sports
• Cuts to Active for Life and
Takepart programmes
• Summer Fun activities for children
axed
• Cuts to support and funding for
community sport groups
• Removal of subsidy to Portslade
Sports Centre – management of
the centre to be put out to tender

14. Support for
community and
voluntary sector
• 17% cut to grants programme
• Loss of rate rebates for charities
• Cut to funding for Equalities
projects
• Funding for community
development and support to
voluntary groups cut by £100k in
2015-16 and £200k from 2016.

15. Community Learning and
Music Service
• Privatise management of the
Community Learning Service
(danger this will be cut altogether
if external funding not found)
• Cut subsidy to music service by
£66,000

16. Democracy and
accountability
• No more elections to Older
People’s Council
• Overview and Scrutiny team
scrapped: no support for council
tenants to hold their landlord to
account, loss of opportunity for
citizens to challenge the way the
council works
• Staff cuts in complaints
department