News

Vital services hit after budget cuts

By Tim Tonkin
June 15, 2011

SUPPORT services that tackle crime, antisocial behaviour and help to protect vulnerable people across Hampshire, are to see their budgets slashed over the next two years.

Teams dealing with drug abuse among young people and those trying to curb night time violence are among those who will see their funding from Hampshire County Council reduced between now and 2013.

Councillors agreed revisions to the amount of funding to be divided among various organisations that form the Hampshire Community Safety Agreement, following a meeting on Thursday (June 9).

Catch 22, an organisation dealing with substance abuse among young people, is expected to see its funding for fall from £114,500 in 2011-12 to £35,500 in 2012-13.

Funding towards projects combating antisocial behaviour, violence and criminal damage will also be cut, from £177,600 in 2011-12 to £125,000 in 2012-13.

The move comes as the council attempts to deal with what it terms as ‘significant’ further reductions in the funding it receives from central government.

Councillors have pointed out that the Community Safety Fund, the grant provided by the Home Office to support community safety priorities, is set to fall from £1,167,400 in 2010/11 to £1,034,957 for the 2011-12 financial year.

The indicative funds for 2012-13 are likely to be cut even further to £523,587, a comparative reduction of 66%.

The Hampshire Community Safety Agreement is a series of targets in key areas drawn up by the county council alongside safety partnerships on a district and borough level.

These include specific measures to deal with antisocial behaviour, domestic abuse, public disorder and violence associated with the night-time economy and opportunistic crime and criminal damage.

The council says that in response to the ‘severe financial constraints’ inflicted by central government, the safety agreement will be looking at ways to maximise its services on a reduced budget.

Steps include promoting efficiency among back room staff to protect frontline resources, and focussing attention on people causing most harm or who are most vulnerable in particular communities.

Ken Thornber, leader of Hampshire County Council, said that the council and groups working towards community safety would learn to do more with less.

He said: "Community safety will continue to be a priority for partners across Hampshire in the future, in spite of the financial challenge of less funding being available from government.

"The Community Safety Fund is just one of the resources available to us to tackle these issues in Hampshire but by continuing to work closely with our partners, we can ensure that the resources we do receive are allocated in the most effective and efficient way possible.

"By making sure that they are focussed on specific key areas and hotspots, we can target those areas where there is the most need."

| Submit Comments