Schools, museums and libraries to be cleaned less often as Glasgow City Council faces budget shortfall

Glasgow City Council has warned residents that living in the area will no longer be the same. They will have to put up with lower standards of cleanliness as public buildings are cleaned less often while grass and hedges will be allowed to grow longer before they are trimmed due to budget cuts.

The council has also said that up to 1,500 jobs are in danger in the next financial year as it struggles to meet the £130m shortfall in budget. This, according to the council means that it has to find £83m of the £130m shortfall in the next financial year. By using reserves and other measures, the council said it can reduce the shortfall to £58m.

On the job losses, the council said that the posts reduction would be achieved through "natural wastage", saving it around £25m. It however did not give further details.

Community grants will be cut by £6.15m with a £1.6m reduction targeted for Scotland Police, Grass cutting and hedge trimming will also be scaled back to save £1.5m.

That is not all. Public buildings like schools, museums, libraries and office buildings may also face being cleaned less often and to a lower standard to save £700,000. And residents in the city may have to put up with graffiti as the authorities reduce its graffiti removal scheme spend by £48,000.

The Arts scene in Glasgow is also poised to take a hit with the council proposing to remove support for the Theatre Royal. It is also seeking to reduce grants for the King's Theatre and Pollok House by 10% as part of £208,000 savings from its cultural grants.

Christmas will not be the same again either in the Scottish city. The year-end festivities and programmes will come under review in the months ahead in a bid to make savings, the council added.

Council blames Scottish government for budget cuts

Council leader Frank McAveety said the scale of the savings was the result of "Scottish government budget cuts." McAveety, in pointing the finger at the Scottish government said: "When I became leader the city faced a cuts bill of £103m. Now its £130m. Make no mistake this is a direct result of the Scottish government's budget cuts."

Despite this, he said the council was committed to frontline services. He said the council is still committed to investing £100m in its schools and community facilities over the next five years with an increased capital investment fund.

"This fund will ensure that these vital services across the city continue to operate and don't suffer from the cuts being imposed on us - a real example of the council delivering for the communities of Glasgow."

Scotland government says council accepted its 'fair funding deal'

In strongly backing its move to impose the cuts, a Scottish government spokesman said that the council had accepted "our fair funding deal." He said Glasgow received a government funding allocation amounting to £1.344bn next year.

He said: "Glasgow City Council remains the highest funded per head of any wholly mainland council, and has accepted our fair funding deal, securing their share of a £10.3bn package. In addition, an updated independent analysis published today (10 March) by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre has found that when it comes to the council tax freeze and the funding of local government, the freeze has been 'over-funded' by the Scottish government, which 'has resulted in an estimated £180m extra going to local government."