Residents asked to come up with their own budget online as Wirral Council tries to plug £25m funding gap

Aug 24 2011 by Lorna Hughes, Wallasey News

WIRRAL residents are being asked to help the council balance its budget – by going online to say where they would spend the money.

Last year, Wirral Council lost £51m of government funding and now faces a gap of £25m between its income and projected spend this year.

To help find a solution, it is now asking the public how they would control its finances through an online “budget simulator”.

The simulator shows what the council will spend next year, with the money broken down into five different areas: neighbourhood, children and young people, adult social services, economy and council.

People can look at each of the budgets and decide to reduce them, increase them or leave them unchanged after considering the consequences of each option.

They can also make suggestions on how to increase income.

Council leader Steve Foulkes said the simulator was a chance to have a “real, open honest conversation” with residents – but opposition parties said it was unlikely to help.

He said: “Like all local authorities we are going to have to make some tough decisions.

“We will continue to assess our ‘back-office’ functions to see where costs and bureaucracy can be reduced, but this will not be enough to bridge the projected budget gap.

“For this reason, we are asking people to tell us how they think we should balance our budget.”

Conservative leader Cllr Jeff Green said: “I fail to see how a letter with a big photo of Steve Foulkes or an online ‘budget simulation game’ with only the most general of information, are going to help him.ŠIt’s hardly going to be a hit on the Wii.

Š“The real detail of his plans won’t be found on this ‘game’.ŠIt will be found in lengthy, jargon-ridden reports presented to councillors at meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees in the Town Hall.

Š“If the public responds to this ‘game’ by asking for a reduction in council tax, will Steve Foulkes take any notice?”

Feedback from the simulator will be reported back to cabinet members in December.

Log on to www.wirral. gov.uk/budget2012.

What do you think? Write to Letters, Wirral News, PO Box 48, Old Hall Street, Liverpool L69 3EB or e-mail newsdesk@wirralnews.co.uk