MP furious at Harrow Council budget cuts

Harrow Council’s public consultation on proposed budget cuts has been slammed as “shortsighted” and “incoherent” by local MP Nick Hurd. The council recently asked residents to have their say on how the council could save £75million over four years.  The council listed 23 potential options for making savings and asked the public to prioritise them. Mr Hurd echoed concerns raised by the Pinner Association about this approach, as there was no indication of how much savings could be made by implementing the changes. Mr Hurd said: “How can we comment on the different options if we have no feel for the relative savings?” He added: “Harrow Council are not alone in facing the challenge of budget cuts. There is no point just blaming the Government. “By way of reference and stark contrast, Hillingdon Council has managed to make over £80 million of savings since March 20120; and reduce the cost of running the council by 34%. During this process, resident satisfaction has remained at very high levels, not least because services have not been cut and council tax has been frozen.” Mr Hurd has suggested Harrow speak with Hillingdon Council to “explore whether any lessons could be learnt”. The council’s Labour administration has argued deep cuts are necessary due to a significant drop in the amount of grant money it gets from Central Government. It is currently consulting with the public about closing six libraries in the borough and reconfiguring children’s centres in the borough.