THE Forest Council cabinet will this week look at a series of options to save the council at least £2.3 million over the next four years, including a pay and council tax freeze.

The savings options take into account what services local people said they wanted to protect, reduce or stop in the public consultation.

The cabinet will meet at 5.30pm on Thursday (February 10) to agree a budget for 2011/12 – which includes a freeze on council tax – that they will recommend to the full council for approval later this month. 

The cabinet will also agree the medium term budget options for the following three years as a plan for implementation at a later date. 

In the proposed medium term plan it is assumed there will be no increase in councillors' allowances over the next four years and that all staff earning £21,000 or over will have their pay frozen until 2013. It would pave the way for council tax to be frozen for the next four years.

The savings proposals, which have been drawn up by the council's Budget Working Group, will be made primarily by sharing services and by working differently.

The budget has also been looked at in detail by the council's scrutiny committees and has gone out to public consultation. Town and parish councils, the equalities panel and local businesses have also had chance to put forward their views.

Cllr Brian Robinson, cabinet member for efficient council and finance said: "We have listened very carefully to what people have told us through public consultations and taken that on board with the budget.

"The District Council is dedicated to ensuring good quality services are delivered at the best possible value for money to its residents.

"Through working differently we believe we can make these savings while minimising the impact of them on local people. In this budget we have striven to protect the services which were most valued by the public during our recent consultation."

He added: "Through the consultation local people said they wanted management and corporate running costs at the council reduced. This budget includes a reduction in management and restructures to improve the way we work for our community while maintaining services.

"It is a tough budget but we have to save just over £1.7 million in two years. We have looked at everything in detail for this budget.

"We recognise people in the community are also feeling the financial pinch at the moment so are very pleased to be able to put in place a medium term budget which will put the council in a good position to be able to freeze council tax for the next four years."

So far £630,000 of savings have been already agreed – this includes reducing management and support costs, sharing services and changing the way the council works to deliver more efficient and effective services.

The full savings options for 2011/12 and future budget options 2012/15 are attached.  Savings options for the next financial year include:

•Adjust opening hours – current opening hours are 8.30am-5pm Monday to Friday. It is proposed to reduce opening hours from 9am to 4.45pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4.30pm on Friday. Statistics show that relatively few members of the public visit or call before 9am and that visits and calls drop off significantly after 4pm. Saving - £80,000.

•Reduce members' costs and expenses – stopping refreshments at meetings, removing unclaimed mileage allowances, stopping ICT allowances (subject to findings of members' ICT task group). Saving - £28,000

•Civic expenditure – reduction of the budget for civic matters. Saving – £9,000.

•CCTV – the council highlighted in its budget for 2009/10 that it would be phasing out its funding for CCTV. The council is willing to work with towns to help them find individual solutions. Saving – £20,000  

The full council will make the final decision on the budget for 2011/12 when it meets on February 24 at 7pm in the Council Chamber.