Thurrock Council to discuss plans to save £18m

A council is set to discuss new proposals to save a further £18.2m next year.

Thurrock Council in Essex, which is effectively bankrupt and has an outstanding debt of £887m, made a similar level of savings this year.

Labour's John Kent, who became leader of the council in May, said the "budget proposals we are putting forward are based around our core principle that our residents have to come first".

The Conservative opposition leader, Andrew Jefferies, said he would be "seeking reassurances that children's and adults' services won't be affected".

Among the proposals are saving £1.2m from regularly reviewing adult social care placements.

The council leader told the BBC there were 10 complex childrens' placements that cost £7m a year and work was under way to bring their care within the borough.

Mr Kent said it would give children "a better outcome closer to their support networks".

A redesign of the local healthcare system is set to save £1.67m.

Plans to bring in charging for assistive technology for people receiving adult social care would save £140,000. Some people could receive a £5-a-week charge - which would be means tested, the council said.

Andrew Jefferies, the former Conservative leader of the council, said he was "disappointed there is no assistance or discount for pensioners for green waste collections. Particularly in light of them losing their winter fuel allowance".

Mr Kent said: "We will do our very best to protect frontline services, we will protect the most vulnerable.

"Where we are making changes to services we will minimise the adverse impacts of those changes to the daily live of our residents."

A scrutiny meeting will take place on Wednesday evening. The budget will be set early next year.

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