SAVINGS of £1.1 million need to be made next year by Rushmoor Borough Council, as it battles to cope with a 12% cut in government grants.

The council, which this year made savings of £2.4m, is discussing where it can afford to make the savings for the 2012/13 financial year. It will then have to reduce its spending by a further £400,000 in the following two years after that.

A preliminary budget report, due to be discussed by cabinet on Tuesday, says between £200,000 and £400,000 worth of savings have already been identified, leaving departments vulnerable to their share of another £900,000 of cuts.

In the proposed budget, which will be considered by full council on February 23, the majority of those given funding under the leisure and youth portfolio, such as the Princes Hall, Rushmoor in Bloom and the Aldershot Lido, will not be significantly affected.

The few areas from that department which would see a cut include the public halls and community centres budget, which will be reduced by £10,000, and the community schools’ budget, where £12,000 will be slashed.

Under the environment portfolio, budgets for the cemeteries, town centre management and for Aldershot’s regeneration would take a hit under the proposed budget, while money earmarked for the toilets, domestic refuge and street cleaning would increase by a collective £130,000.

About £15,000 would be saved through the new integrated CCTV system, with grants also being slashed for development control and food safety.

If the budget were approved, the corporate services department would also be affected, with a £6,000 reduction in the budget for mayoral costs and a £3,000 reduction in money earmarked for expenditure by members.

The report says there are also a number of potential capital projects, mainly in relation to the regeneration of the town, which have not yet been included in the programme – because they have to become ‘more defined’ – which might still have to be included in the budget.

It is also expected that the council will have to pay out £2.5m in capital receipts to help finance this year’s spending, including £500,000 for the Westgate development.

Council leader Peter Moyle said: “The council has made substantial reductions in its spending in the current year through efficiency initiatives, reductions in staffing and carefully selected cuts in some areas. In the coming year, we will be further reducing our spending by looking at those areas that are priorities and other areas where reductions can be made; by further efficiency savings; increasing income and revising our investments to provide greater return to the Council; reducing our spending on new schemes and adapting our financial strategy.”

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