The blackening sky

Today we have received notice that the Shepton Mallet Library is under threat of closure from the County Council, the Library is a community resource that is used by young and old alike, my family use it for books and for computer skills, this giving confidence and improvements to our quality of life.



Libraries offer the joy of self learning, an invaluable community resource, that has been on Shepton's High Street for decades.



The County Council does not even intend to offer a consultation meeting in Shepton, the nearest meeting will be in Glastonbury, see details in the link to the consultation document link. http://www.somerset.gov.uk/irj/go/km/docs/CouncilDocuments/SCC/Documents/Community/Libraries/Library%20Consultation%20Document.pdf


I attended the Mendip Council cabinet meeting this evening, this to discover the level of cuts required for Mendip to balance their books.

This year Mendip will have to cut more than 14.8% to balance their books for the next financial year, it looks like it is going to take up to February for the administration to set a balanced budget.

The Arts budget will be removed the voluntary sector grant will be halved, significant redundancies amongst the staff, next year will see no rest bite from these cuts as the cuts are to be front loaded into the first couple of years.

I genuinely cannot see the logic in three tier local government, how the Conservatives must regret their campaign to keep District and County Councils, both councils are now slicing services, still having senior and middle managers still having to many overheads.

These cuts in services are like an onion, they are continual evolving;

• 10 PCSO being cut in Somerset
• 75% cut to youth services
• 50% cut to bus subsidy
• £80 increase in the County bus ticket for 16-18yr olds
• 100% cut in Arts budgets
• there are other cuts that will become open in the coming period

The Mendip Council leader Harvey Siggs was not impressed with his Conservative Secretary of State Eric Pickles, and his sleight of hand when announcing the cuts to rate support grant to Mendip, other councillors said they were 'standing on the obis' others said 'the shelves are bare', Harvey Siggs said he was upset that neither Lib Dem MPs was there at the meeting to support his Conservative administration. Sadly Harvey I think you're on your own!