LETTER: Investments are vital

This year, like previous years, the Labour team in charge at Ashfield District Council will endeavour to bring policies and projects to fruition to sustain vital services across the district with some great teamwork by the Labour administration; something for us all to be proud of.

To put some context to this, and because of government cuts, we will have to save about £1 million this year and almost £4m over the next few years because of the austerity ideology of this Tory government. Therefore, the Labour councillors have come up with innovative ideas to balance the books and to keep the services we all want.

Over the past few years we have implemented changes to how we deliver services such as:

. Bringing Ashfield Homes back under council control, a tough decision publically, however it saved about £600,000, provisioned by us streamlining the senior managers and removing waste and duplication;

. The successful recycling scheme and bin restructuring is now bearing fruition, with recycling rates going up dramatically, reducing the cost to landfill and helping the environment. The scheme that was funded by Nottinghamshire County Council’s Labour administration has meant we will see this pay for itself as well as making savings to the county council;

. Reduction in service directors at the district council, and other internal changes, has meant we have saved way more than the £100k a year we estimated;

. Commercialisation – loaning £10m in 2017, while interest rates were favourable, to purchase commercial property has provided an income stream to the council, which was never there before. As a result of this being so successful the council agreed to another £15m should the right investments come along. Ashfield Labour at ADC, will continue to look for in-district commercial properties to add to our existing Ashfield properties. These investments are vital income to sustain the levels of services Ashfield residents deserves and have come to expect. A good demonstration that, as a Labour run authority, we can be proud of our achievements over the last year, and previous years, in spite of the crippling shortfall in our budgets caused by Tory austerity. Great teamwork, something we are all proud of.

Your Labour team in

Hucknall & Ashfield

By email

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