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Argyll and Bute Council prepares to set its budget vowing to protect ‘as many services as possible’

Robin Currie, leader of Argyll and Bute Council
Robin Currie wants to protect as many services as possible. Image: Argyll and Bute Council.

The leader of Argyll and Bute Council has said it is planning to focus on the services it has a duty to deliver when it sets its budget for 2023/24 next week.

Speaking at the authorities policy and resources committee council leader Robin Currie said he wanted to deliver “as much as possible”.

But as the council looks to find savings of more than £13million, elected members also discussed what services would need to be stopped.

Countless services

Councillor Currie said: “Our priority as always is on making whatever funding we have deliver as much as possible for Argyll and Bute.

“The council will continue to provide countless services that support day to day life across Argyll and Bute.

Gary Mulvaney, spokesman for Argyll and Bute finance, Image: Argyll and Bute Council.

“Multi-million pound funding cuts over many years however stop us doing everything we’d like to do for our communities. We have to focus on saving the services we have a duty to deliver.”

The committee considered a report setting out the demands on the council’s budget and additional options for fully bridging the funding gap, including stopping some services.

Councillor Gary Mulvaney, finance spokesman, said: “We have done everything we can to save services – we have developed around £9 million of savings options that avoid impact on services for the public.

“With no end in sight however to cuts to council budgets, change, to what the council can do, is unavoidable.”

The meeting heard the council had made £70million-worth of savings since 2010.

The council will set its budget when it meets on Thursday February 23.

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