Cuts at Coventry Council could have a damaging impact on residents in the city. People using public services, council employees and even the economy would likely take a hit if the savings go ahead, it has been claimed.
The findings come as the council considers plans to axe almost £9 million from its services budget. An equality impact assessment has looked at 22 of the changes the council could make to save money.
Authors analysed how these would affect people with protected characteristics such as age, disability, race and sex. They found the overall impact on these residents would likely be negative.
The report found half of the planned changes would likely have harmful effects on protected groups.
Higher fees for bereavement services, waste disposal for charities and religious groups, and parking at War Memorial Park are some of the potentially negative moves. Others include cuts to parks, street cleaning and a council news magazine.
Support for people using adults or childrens services could also be hit, and the council may make changes that would have a negative impact on its sustainability and climate change workforce. The report also detailed how funding cuts for events could have wider consequences.
Fewer events taking place “will be [sic] a negative impact on communities, visitors and to the economy overall,” it states. The only positive of the 22 changes would be changes that would help children in care.
Some other moves would have both positive and negative impacts and the effects of others is not yet known, the report adds. Authors of the document stress that this is only a first review of how council plans could affect people in the city.
The council will carry out a full report with a more detailed analysis before the final budget is revealed in February. People in Coventry also have until the end of this January to give their feedback on the savings, including via a council survey.
The council has admitted its plans are “challenging” but said it must set a balanced budget, and blamed a £10 million gap on social care and housing pressures. Council leader George Duggins (Longford, Lab) has also said the final budget could look very different depending on how much government funding the council gets this year.