More council cutbacks are on the way that could impact even more on services in Newtown and throughout Montgomeryshire.
Powys County Council's Cabinet has asked all council departments to find an additional 20 per cent savings which could mean job losses, a reduction in more services and other organisations and charities being asked to take responsibility for some services.
The council will have to reduce its spending by £27 million over the next three years.
This is in addition to the near £40 million it has already cut since 2012.
Newtown Town Council, community councils, third sector organisations and the private sector are already being asked to consider taking on some services from the council as it looks to make savings.
These range from public toilets to parks and day centres to meals on wheels among many others.
It is likely that more services will either be axed or transferred to others with speculation that services including libraries will be among the next to be transferred to community and other groups to run.
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Wynne Jones said: “The decision to move to a three year budget strategy will give us some time to redesign service delivery, to reduce costs and protect front line services as much as possible, but we will still have to face some very difficult choices.
“The result is that all council services have been asked to find 20per cent savings and for our big service departments the figures are quite daunting. Highways will have to find £6.4m, adult social care £4.8m, education £4m and children’s services £2.8m."
He added: “The scale of the issue means that the cabinet will have to consider some unpalatable options such as raising the school starting age, charging for post-16 school transport, major changes to care provision for our older people and changes to the way we provide our children’s services.
“The cabinet are also having to look at all services that are non-statutory, which could mean the removal of support for Tourism Information Services, Village Hall grants, the concurrent functions scheme (which only currently operates in North Powys), and a reduction of grant funding for voluntary organisations.”
“We will have to consider large scale reductions in support staff and our back office functions and look at innovative ways of delivering some services perhaps through a joint venture company or by commissioning others to deliver services on behalf of the council, as we have done with Freedom Leisure for our sport and leisure facilities, saving £450,000 this year and a further £350,000 in future years.
“Working with others, whether in the public, private or voluntary sector, and the council will have to become far more commercially aware and develop opportunities for future income generation."
“The council has a good record of reducing its spend without damaging services, we have cut our budget by £40m in the last three years and managed to limit the impact of change on the majority of service users.
“Regrettably the coming period is likely to see far greater change and far more impact on Powys citizens as service radically transform or in some cases disappear altogether. We will do all we can to discuss changes with our communities but it is going to be a difficult period in the county’s history.
“We must be positive, we have a good track record of reinventing services to generate savings while protecting delivery for Powys citizens."
