Scrutiny update

As I have previously mentioned we have just been through the week when the administration's budget proposals are subjected to the council's three scrutiny meetings. This has meant quite an arduous week for me with the menu of meetings completed on the spare wednesday evening with the Business Ratepayers Consultative Forum which is an opportunity for business groups, Leigh Town Council and residents associations to question the budget plans. Generally constructive debate by all concerned and whilst there were a few predictable complaints - black sack removal etc - there appeared to be general support to the thrust of the proposals and certainly no significant alternative savings. We now move on to full council at the end of February and it will be interesting to see if there are any formal amendments and if not whether the speeches by the opposition group leaders are rather more realistic and magnanimous than in previous years!