“Some areas must suffer” says councillor

A PROPOSAL for Royston town council’s 2011 budget was discussed at a meeting last week.

Royston district councillors met on Wednesday evening to look over the plans, which involve huge cuts across the board. They will then recommend changes and present them back to North Herts District Council at the end of this month.

The budget includes cuts of 16.8 per cent (�1.283m), for 2011 and 2012.

Some of the biggest cuts across North Herts affect the region’s young people including the complete removal of the �17,700 youth development budget and �9,825 for the Herts Youth Games. A 30 per cent reduction in grants to Herts Sport Partnership could also be introduced.

Elsewhere among the 36 reductions, a review of Blackberry and mobile usage for council staff, which currently costs �32,000 a year, is expected.

Cllr Bill Davidson, who was at the meeting, said: “Nobody likes to make cuts but the way the current situation is, we have got to, and I think this has turned out to be quite a good budget.

“I am not too happy about them, but some areas have to suffer unfortunately. I think this is a good job and hopefully we can scrape through it.”