New charges for adult care as East Lothian Council budget approved

The local authority’s minority Labour administration’s final budget proposal was supported by all seven members of the Conservative opposition group at a council meeting in Haddington Town House on Tuesday, giving it the support it needed to pass.

The six SNP councillors rejected the budget, instead proposing their own alternative version.

Among the “hard choices” the council gave the go-ahead were raising about £358,000 a year by increasing current charges for adult services and introducing new charges for council-run day centres.

Nursery teachers will be moved into primary schools – leaving nursery nurses in charge of nursery children – as part of a shake-up, in a move which could bring a saving of more than £550,000 over the next two years, as well as helping cover a shortfall in primary school teachers.

The council said that, despite receiving an increase of £2.2million in funding from the Scottish Government, it still faced a gap for the coming financial year of £3.7million, with an expected £5.3million shortfall expected over the following two years.

It said that the pressures of population growth, new policy obligations and inflationary costs meant it would have to reduce costs in some services and look for new ways of raising income.

The council-run day centres which will be affected by the charges are Fisherrow, Port Seton and Tynebank resource centres.

Council tax will rise by three per cent (see table below).

Additional investment, however, has been pledged to adult social care and children’s wellbeing, as well as school lunch clubs, with a central pot of funding introduced to support lunch clubs which are held in holiday time in some communities.

A £263million package of capital investment over five years in new or expanded schools, improvements to community facilities and local infrastructure was announced, as well as about £157million for new affordable and council housing, as well as upgrading.

The administration’s budget included several amendments made by the Conservative Group, including a move to review senior manager roles and redirect money given to area partnerships for educational attainment back to the education department.

However, there were still concerns about aspects of it.

Councillor Katie Mackie (Con) said: “We have concerns about removing teachers from nurseries.

“There are vacancies in primary schools but the Scottish Government must take steps to tackle this.”

Only one SNP amendment was added to the administration budget as they agreed not to close Macmerry Civic Amenity site.

Councillor Paul McLennan (SNP) questioned how councillors could vote for a budget agreeing additional charging for adult services while a public consultation on those charges was still being carried out.

He said: “Labour has ridden over the views of carers in the charging group and the consultation. Carers were told that resource centres would close if new charges were not implemented. The carers’ real fear is that people will be priced out of the services.”

However, Councillor Fiona O’Donnell (Lab), the council’s cabinet spokesperson for health, said the consultation would help shape how new charges were brought in.

She said: “We face a difficult choice in East Lothian: reduce and close services, or raise money to protect those services.

“I would rather do neither but that simply isn’t an option.

“Labour’s transparent and sustainable plan includes a commitment to raise £358,000 through increases in extra charges and the introduction of new charges in some areas of adult social care services.”

Councillor Brian Small, leader of the opposition Conservative Group, said that the council would have to understand that if it was charging for services then it had to deliver them to a high standard.

He called for a review of the council’s assets, particularly in property, and a review of terms and conditions and pay of staff.

SNP Group leader Councillor Stuart Currie called for a roll call on the budget vote after describing it as an “utter betrayal” of residents.

Councillors who voted for the administration budget, which was passed, and against the SNP amended budget were: Shamin Akhtar, Fiona Dugdale, Andy Forrest, Jim Goodfellow, Norman Hampshire, John McMillan, Fiona O’Donnell (all Lab), Lachlan Bruce, Jeremy Findlay, Jane Henderson, Sue Kempson, Gordon Mackett, Katie Mackie and Brian Small (all Con).

Councillors who voted against the administration budget and for the SNP version were: Stuart Currie, Neil Gilbert, Paul McLennan, Kenny McLeod, Tom Trotter and John Williamson (all SNP).