Angry Reaction To Aberdeen Council’s Cuts

Aberdeen City Council’s decision to make £27m of cuts as well as a council tax freeze has led to angry reaction.

Funding is being withdrawn from several care organisations, and social work services, sports centres and libraries will also be affected. The art deco Bon Accord Baths – the city’s oldest pool – is to close down, as is the children’s farm at Doonies.

Kate Dean, leader of the Lib Dem and SNP administration, admitted they had been faced with difficult choices.

She told BBC Scotland: “This is not what any of us came in to local government to do. “Some hard decisions have had to be made. We have tried to provide as much as we can.”

The level of council tax was frozen, as it was in Aberdeenshire, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. However, Aberdeen’s opposition Labour leader Len Ironside did not accept the administration’s arithmetic.
He said: “Some of these cuts in services are disgusting.”

It is feared the charity Alcohol Support may be forced to withdraw from a pioneering service which provides accommodation.

The homeless charity the Cyrenians has also had its level of funding cut to such an extent that up to four centres in the city may have to close.

Aberdeenshire Council said its tax freeze had been achieved without making cuts to services.