County council's grant cuts for voluntary groups to be delayed

CUTS to grants given to voluntary organisations next year by Notts County Council look set to delayed.

The council planned to cut the �3.3 million fund to �1.65 million next year.

But voluntary groups spoke out against the changes and half of the people who responded to a council survey on the move opposed it.

The council now plans to cut the �3.3 million fund to �2.1 million.

However, the extra funding for next year is a temporary measure to allow organisations time to adjust to funding drops – with the overall savings made over the following three years.

The council will also appoint three specialist advisors at its contact centre to give advice on benefits after 43 per cent of respondents said they opposed scrapping the Welfare Rights service.

The proposed �200-a-week increase in charges for residents of council-run residential homes who pay the full charge has also been staggered.

It will now rise by �100 from April, and by a further �100 from April 2012.

Councillor Kay Cutts, leader of Notts County Council, said: "We have listened to significant concerns by making a number of changes to our original proposals."

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32715/f/503354/s/122af5bb/l/0L0Sthisisnottingham0O0Cnews0Cgrant0Ecuts0Edelayed0Carticle0E31553310Edetail0Carticle0Bhtml/story01.htm

Everton Spending review 2010 Economic growth (GDP) Boxing Christina Aguilera Lancashire