Have your say on Weymouth and Portland budget (From Dorset Echo)

Have your say on Weymouth and Portland budget

9:41am Thursday 3rd January 2013 in News

Local people are being to have their say about Weymouth and Portland's 2013/14 budget proposals.

The contentious plans were approved for consultation at the borough council's Management Committee on 4 December.

They include demolishing the Pavilion and turning the site into a car park, selling the council offices on North Quay and the Guildhall and selling seafront hotels owned by the authority.

The proposals outline how the council aims to deal with the reduction in the amount of money it receives and has to spend - estimated to be at least £3.9 million less by 2019/20.

No final decisions have been made by councillors about the 2013/14 budget.

Councillors will debate the matter at Management Committee in February and then ultimately set the budget at Full Council on February 21.

Results from the consultation will be used to inform councillors, highlight potential impacts of the proposals and ways to manage them while also identifying potential alternatives to the proposals and other ideas.

Councillor Peter Chapman, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council spokesman for Finance and Assets said: “The council has hard choices to make and is very limited about what it can actually do to address the financial situation it finds itself in.

“The council's cross-party budget working group has worked very hard to come up with the proposals which were approved for consultation by the Management Committee on 4 December, and we look forward to finding out what local people think about them.

“I do understand that not all of what is proposed will be popular but this consultation is also about finding out how the proposals will affect residents and businesses and explaining alternatives.”

The council will consult with the Chamber of Commerce, and is presenting the budget proposals to them. Stakeholder groups, such as the Forum for Equality and Diversity and other local organisations, will also be asked for their views.

Weymouth and Portland residents who are part of Dorset County Council's citizens' panel will also be consulted about the proposals.

More information about the budget process, ideas and an online survey is now available for local people and organisations to complete at www.dorsetforyou.com/weymouthandportlandbudget Paper copies are also available at the council's North Quay office reception.

The closing date for the questionnaire is January 20.