Letter: Councils should be forced to improve

Despite the Press report that Shropshire Council will have to cut its budget by 20 per cent, little seemed to disturb the placid flow of reports, strategies and reviews at a recent council meeting - although two members at least tabled questions about the imminent cuts.

However, before that the council had learned that in the last financial year, it had overspent its budget by a tiny 0.2 per cent and I was concerned that members seemed to think that this was a matter for congratulation.

There was no feeling expressed that in the present circumstances a significant underspend would have been appropriate.

The council appeared to accept the traditional council attitude: "I'm a great believer in spending my budget - the budget expresses the council's policies.

"Furthermore if I don't spend my budget, there is a good chance it may be reduced next year and anyway I need a cushion for unexpected costs."

Yet we have a Conservative-controlled council. Surely members involved in business know that the manager's job is to deliver the programme more cheaply than agreed at budget-fixing time?

Why does the council not have a cost-reduction programme agreed after the budget to give an under spend?

What is the point of a Conservative majority if they do not put the pressures felt in competitive private enterprise on council officers, changing the culture from local government complacency and defensiveness to one where the council is under constant pressure to improve its current performance?

Peter Dunham, Shrewsbury