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| Manchester city council - the unkindest cut | Manchester city council - the unkindest cut |
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| It's easy to think that Manchester city council has been taking the idea of cuts too literally. Walking to the council's Executive meeting I pass the Peace Gardens on St Peter's Square, or what's left of them. A few Peace stumps are what survive as workmen cut back the greenery for the latest grand project. But slashing and uprooting is exactly what's happening to the city's budget. | It's easy to think that Manchester city council has been taking the idea of cuts too literally. Walking to the council's Executive meeting I pass the Peace Gardens on St Peter's Square, or what's left of them. A few Peace stumps are what survive as workmen cut back the greenery for the latest grand project. But slashing and uprooting is exactly what's happening to the city's budget. |
| I push past protesters to get in to the meeting. It's fair to say that our city is under pressure. We've already taken a hefty hit, £170 million cut from the budget over the last 2 years. As the Executive set out, the local government settlement has clearly been unfair, Manchester's grant reduction is double that elsewhere on average. So now the council has to make savings. | I push past protesters to get in to the meeting. It's fair to say that our city is under pressure. We've already taken a hefty hit, £170 million cut from the budget over the last 2 years. As the Executive set out, the local government settlement has clearly been unfair, Manchester's grant reduction is double that elsewhere on average. So now the council has to make savings. |
| The media has written extensively about the planned closures of libraries and public swimming baths. Yet despite the council's line that it's because the facilities in Broadway, Withington, Levenshulme and Miles Platting are in poor condition, closing them now before new pools open is clearly going to blow a hole in the city's healthy living provision. | The media has written extensively about the planned closures of libraries and public swimming baths. Yet despite the council's line that it's because the facilities in Broadway, Withington, Levenshulme and Miles Platting are in poor condition, closing them now before new pools open is clearly going to blow a hole in the city's healthy living provision. |
| One of the reasons that these kinds of cuts raise such controversy is that leisure services show that the 'powers that be' don't just think of us as economic units, either servicing or draining the GDP. To put it another way, these services are what's left of concrete commitment to strategies about communities living fulfilled lives. | One of the reasons that these kinds of cuts raise such controversy is that leisure services show that the 'powers that be' don't just think of us as economic units, either servicing or draining the GDP. To put it another way, these services are what's left of concrete commitment to strategies about communities living fulfilled lives. |
| In particular the Save Withington Baths campaign has managed to mobilise an effective protest. | In particular the Save Withington Baths campaign has managed to mobilise an effective protest. |
| At the meeting, community campaigners get a chance to put their cases, and do so with admirable passion and clarity. They highlight how cutting swimming provision flies in the face of current health initiatives. But equally important they warn that such closures "rip the heart out of the community". | At the meeting, community campaigners get a chance to put their cases, and do so with admirable passion and clarity. They highlight how cutting swimming provision flies in the face of current health initiatives. But equally important they warn that such closures "rip the heart out of the community". |
| As it is, the Executive has some good news, there is to be a reprieve for Withington, it is to stay open until 2015, and plans are being made to keep Levenshulme and Miles Platting open too. A significant victory for what organiser Sian Astley describes as "our community voice". | As it is, the Executive has some good news, there is to be a reprieve for Withington, it is to stay open until 2015, and plans are being made to keep Levenshulme and Miles Platting open too. A significant victory for what organiser Sian Astley describes as "our community voice". |
| However, the reprieve is conditional and is based on funding being raised in the local community. Withington have developed a strong business plan, but as they point out it should be councillors who are responsible for writing plans not residents. Writing a plan is one thing, delivering over 2 years is quite another. Manchester Council's press department states that it will be underwritten by the "CAS:H [sic] grants" programme. This was designed to provide one-off grants for neighbourhoods. Using the fund in this way would undermine its purpose and make a huge dent in money available. | However, the reprieve is conditional and is based on funding being raised in the local community. Withington have developed a strong business plan, but as they point out it should be councillors who are responsible for writing plans not residents. Writing a plan is one thing, delivering over 2 years is quite another. Manchester Council's press department states that it will be underwritten by the "CAS:H [sic] grants" programme. This was designed to provide one-off grants for neighbourhoods. Using the fund in this way would undermine its purpose and make a huge dent in money available. |
| Equally, areas of the city less able to mobilise seem to be losing out. There's no real hope held out for Broadway baths, Councillor Sir Richard Leese doesn't even mention it in his Leader's Blog. It's not that community campaigners aren't aware of this, or just selfishly think of their own backyard. Some of the loudest heckles during the meeting are shouts of "divide and rule!" | Equally, areas of the city less able to mobilise seem to be losing out. There's no real hope held out for Broadway baths, Councillor Sir Richard Leese doesn't even mention it in his Leader's Blog. It's not that community campaigners aren't aware of this, or just selfishly think of their own backyard. Some of the loudest heckles during the meeting are shouts of "divide and rule!" |
| Everyone in the room knows one cheery press release will not deal with the underlying problem of the hole in our finances. The question is how we are to deal with it together. | Everyone in the room knows one cheery press release will not deal with the underlying problem of the hole in our finances. The question is how we are to deal with it together. |
| The real problem is that the information on the budget most Mancunians have easy access to doesn't add up. I've had an off-mustard colour leaflet in my letter box telling me that the council has to save £80 million in the next 2 years. Currently there are five consultations running. Only 2 give concrete figures of money to be saved: £3.4 million from "Supporting people" and £500,000 from libraries. Money is also to be taken from drug/alcohol support and leisure but amounts aren't specified. Unless you want to trawl through figures and minutes we are still left not knowing the answers to basic questions. Will planned council tax increases cover the shortfall? And, are there further cuts not explicitly set out? | The real problem is that the information on the budget most Mancunians have easy access to doesn't add up. I've had an off-mustard colour leaflet in my letter box telling me that the council has to save £80 million in the next 2 years. Currently there are five consultations running. Only 2 give concrete figures of money to be saved: £3.4 million from "Supporting people" and £500,000 from libraries. Money is also to be taken from drug/alcohol support and leisure but amounts aren't specified. Unless you want to trawl through figures and minutes we are still left not knowing the answers to basic questions. Will planned council tax increases cover the shortfall? And, are there further cuts not explicitly set out? |
| Time and again in Manchester, we have not been asked in a meaningful way about fundamental changes to our city before they go ahead. You can see this with tree felling in Alexandra Park or in the St Peters Square developments (7) wasting money on changes overwhelmingly opposed. If we're really to tackle the cuts, we need the ability to take a fresh view of the whole picture, and all residents be brought along. | Time and again in Manchester, we have not been asked in a meaningful way about fundamental changes to our city before they go ahead. You can see this with tree felling in Alexandra Park or in the St Peters Square developments (7) wasting money on changes overwhelmingly opposed. If we're really to tackle the cuts, we need the ability to take a fresh view of the whole picture, and all residents be brought along. |
| The meeting ends stormily as one woman berates the councillors for doing the Tories' work. Once the noise dies down you can still hear the distant sound of chainsaws clearing the Peace Gardens. But maybe, a few councillors are starting to think it might be them getting the chop. | The meeting ends stormily as one woman berates the councillors for doing the Tories' work. Once the noise dies down you can still hear the distant sound of chainsaws clearing the Peace Gardens. But maybe, a few councillors are starting to think it might be them getting the chop. |
| Loz Kaye is Bradford Ward and Manchester Central candidate for the Pirate Party. | Loz Kaye is Bradford Ward and Manchester Central candidate for the Pirate Party. |
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