Bah humbug! Council could axe Xmas tree
Last updated 10:02, Friday, 19 September 2008
Christmas could be a less colourful affair for Penrith this year, as planned budget cuts could leave the town hall without a tree.
The Christmas tree which stands on the balcony above the town hall could be sacrificed, along with maintenance of the town’s award-winning cemetery, to help Eden Council balance the budget.
A putting green in Castle Park will be removed, where grass cutting will be halved so it only takes place once a fortnight, and football pitches in the town centre will suffer as they are no longer re-seeded and turfed.
The council needs to free up the money to cover other costs passed down by central government, and is looking for ways to recoup the money.
Different bodies of the council have been consulted on the cuts, and although a scrutiny committee has opposed the loss of the Christmas tree, the town hall may yet be bare come December.
Removing the tree would save the council £1,170, and is considered to provide poor value for money.
The council is looking to make total annual savings of £182,000 by April 2010.
Council leader Colin Nineham said: “The government tells us what to do, without extra funding, but we have also got to maintain services for our residents.
“The way to achieve that is to be more creative and not just dismissive. We need to find more imaginative ways of doing things.”
He added that the council would be looking for other ways to provide some of the services, for less money.
In the case of public toilets, subsidies will be offered to pubs and cafés to open their toilets to the public.
And the council will approach the University of Cumbria’s horticulture students for help with public flower beds.
As reported in The Cumberland News last week, several public toilets in Eden will be closed to help balance the books. And the council will also look to remove snow-clearing, pavement sweeping, and grass cutting in cemeteries from its budget.
In July, the council-run Beacon Edge Cemetery was awarded the green flag for its upkeep. Mr Nineham said: “We are not looking at dramatic changes, I’m not going to have to go to my mum’s grave and cut the grass myself. We are looking at being more realistic and reasonable. Cemeteries should be wildlife havens. You don’t treat them like the front lawn at home.
“Why are we even doing the hanging baskets? Where is the Chamber of Trade or the Civic Society?”
He added that several high quality football pitches are available at the Frenchfields site near the A66.
Other proposals, which will now be put before the council’s executive, include removing council funded hanging baskets, and pulling funding out of Eden Arts Project.
Funding of Cumbria in Bloom and Cumbria Sport will be deleted, and maintenance of the town’s £7million leisure centre will be reduced.
Food Heat energy come before silly plastic decorations and Lights we need to gain a wartime mentality to beat this credit crunch
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what else is going to be removed to nsave money! If things are so tight then why not invest in a false christmas tree? there are many many realistic trees out there, it may cost money now but will be saved in the years to come.you will not be destroying any of nature, and saving money over the coming years. having christmas trees is part of christmas, yes money is not there for many of us so we have to ajust and think of ways to save,to buy a real tree that cost over a thousand pounds seems mad so buy one that will last for years! its not so hard to see!!!
Posted by what next on 18 October 2008 kl. 18:01