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Fewer roads will be gritted, with no grit supplies at the roadside for the whole winter.

Vulnerable people trying to get into the work of work could be given less support.

Taunton's Park and Ride could close indefinitely, with part of the site being used for transport to Hinkley Point C.

These are just some of the possible consequences if Somerset County Council pushes ahead with a further £15M of cuts to public services by 2020.

Council leader David Fothergill said that the council was now at "the very sharp end" of austerity, and that these measures were essential to secure the council's long-term financial sustainability.

He added that the council's predicament had been caused by an increase in costs and demand for services, coupled with "massive" reductions in funding from central government.

The council's cabinet will meet in Taunton on September 12 to discuss detailed plans for savings on top of those already identified in its budget.

The council's forecast overspend for 2018/19 is currently £11.4M , which has been driven by rising demand in children's services.

The proposals laid out are designed to deliver £3.8M in savings from adults services, £2.1M from children's services, £3.8M from highways and infrastructure, and £2.9M from the council's corporate support services.

While some projects are being cut, others are being postponed by up to a year to deliver savings in 2018/19.

Adult services is currently underspending by £1.7M - but all of these areas could soon be cut:

Discovery: money from the Better Care Fund - a joint venture between local govenment and the NHS - will be used to support learning disability services. Money will also be saved by reducing the short breaks service (which allows time off from parents caring for children) and removing part of the current crisis service. Estimated savings: £4,144,110 (£3,394,100 in 2018/19, £750,000 in 2019/20) Extra care housing: the council currently runs 22 extra care housing schemes across Somerset. Three of these will be "decommissioned and re-purposed" to provide either general housing or specialist sheltered housing. Estimated savings: £331,500 (£97,500 in 2018/19, £234,000 in 2019/20) Citizen's Advice: each of the Somerset districts and boroughs will stop receiving non-statutory grant funding from the adult social care core grant. The council will also stop funding the process by which people are assessed for local assistance grants, replacing it with an "alternative delivery model". Estimated savings: £469,000 (£25,000 in 2018/19, £444,000 in 2019/20) Home Improvement Agency: agencies like this are typically not-for-profit organisations which assist elderly people in improving, repairing, maintaining or adapting their homes. Under the plans, all non-statutory elements of this would be withdrawn. Estimated savings: £255,000 (£80,000 in 2018/19, £175,000 in 2019/20) Residential care beds: A total of ten specialist residential care beds will be removed, reducing the overall total in the county from 208 to 198. Two additional beds could also go at the Halcon Centre in Taunton as the council moves away from traditional respite care. Estimated savings: £487,100 (£97,400 in 2018/19, £389,700 in 2019/20) Dementia day care: the current contract for dementia day care facilities ends in January 2019. The council intends to recommission the services to reflect recent changes in legislation. Estimated savings: £56,000 (all in 2018/19) Unpaid leave: all staff are being asked to take two days' compulsory unpaid leave and one day of leave, flexitime or lieu time over the Christmas period. Staff are being encouraged to work at home during this period. Estimated savings: £78,000 (all in 2018/19)

Children's services is currently forecasting an overspend of nearly £11.2M, driven by more children being taken into care and the cost of agency staff.

The following areas of children's services are set for the chop:

Dedicated Schools Grant (residential placements): the council wishes to change the way in which residential provision for children of school-going age is funded, using more money from the central government grant. This will be discussed with the Schools Forum in October. Estimated savings: £1,437,000 (£728,000 in 2018/19, £709,000 in 2019/20) Dedicated Schools Grant (SEND casework): part of the core government grant could be used to cover the cost of additional administration, which has come about from a new funding model to ensure that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can get into mainstream schools. Estimated savings: £221,000 (£141,000 in 2018/19, £70,000 in 2019/20) Dedicated Schools Grant (occupational therapy): more of the central grant could also be put towards the cost of occupational therapy to ensure that SEND children can be taught in mainstream schools. Estimated savings: £54,000 (all in 2018/19) Staff savings: savings will be made within the staffing structure of children's services by "redeploying responsibilities", ensuring that the council can continue to meet all its statutory obligations for schools. Estimated savings: £96,000 (£16,000 in 2018/19, £80,000 in 2019/20) SEND placements: two new staff will be funded by the Schools Forum to reduce the cost of independent SEND placements in an "invest to save" strategy. Estimated savings: £42,000 (saving of £75,000 in 2018/19, but cost of £33,000 in 2019/20) Troubled Families funding: the government has allocated £920M of funding across England up to 2020 to help local authorities identify and assist "troubled families". Somerset will push for a higher amount of income from its allocation. Estimated savings: £124,000 (£239,000 in 2018/19, but cost of £115,000 in 2019/20) External secondment charging: where staff from children's services are currently seconded to a different authority (such as Devon or Dorset), the council will recharge the given council costs associated with those staff members. Estimated savings: nil (£36,000 in 2018/19, but cost of £36,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Transport to specialist provision: the council is seeking to ensure that children needing specialist provision are allocated a place as close to their home as possible, so that it does not have to spend additional money on transporting them great distances. Estimated savings: £63,000 (all in 2018/19) Post-16 accommodation: the council wants to get better value from its supported housing contracts, ensuring that more young people can live independently and that their housing benefit needs are properly taken into account. Estimated savings: £550,000 (£185,000 in 2018/19, £365,000 in 2019/20) Early years staffing: the council's early years commissioning team will be combined with its support services for education (SSE) early years improvement team. Estimated savings: £80,000 (all in 2019/20) GetSet services (staff levels): staff levels in the GetSet service - which provides help to children, young people and families - will be reduced in light of a falling number of referrals and higher caseload targets across the whole service. Estimated savings: £2,012,900 (£327,100 in 2018/19, £1,685,800 in 2019/20) GetSet services (service provision): consultation will take place over whether the council will be able to provide certain services for 0 to 4-year-olds, such as help in finding childcare and healthy eating advice. This could be approved at a later cabinet meeting. Estimated savings: nil (pending consultation) Early Years activities: the level of non-statutory services being provided by the council's early years department will be reduced, and existing services which were free could be provided at a cost. Estimated savings: £174,000 (£50,000 in 2018/19, £124,000 in 2019/20) Youth Offending team: a post which is currently vacant will not be filled or replaced. Estimated savings: £32,000 (£20,000 in 2018/19, £12,000 in 2019/20) Unpaid leave: all staff are being asked to accept the same proposal as staff in adult services. Estimated savings: £200,000 (all in 2018/19) Young Carers support: The whole young carers' services would be redesigned to meet statutory duties while working with the voluntary sector to meet respite needs. Estimated savings: £242,900 (all in 2019/20) Youth Service reform: the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and the Youth Equipment Store will be maintain, but all other support, resources and training made available to voluntary youth organisations will cease - including all grant funding schemes. Estimated savings: £239,000 (all in 2019/20)

The council's corporate and support services - which includes business support, human resources and IT, is forecasting an overspend of £1.218M. Here's where the axe is set to fall here:

Communications team: external income will be used as a one-off means of funding existing posts within the communications team for the coming year only. After that, roles may be altered or reduced. Estimated savings: nil (£38,000 in 2018/19, but cost of £38,000 in 2019/20) Commercial and procurement restructure: "a number of posts" will be removed from this team. Estimated savings: £400,000 (£75,600 in 2018/19, £324,400 in 2019/20) Unpaid leave: all staff are being asked to accept the same proposal as staff in adult and children's services. Estimated savings: £99,800 (all in 2018/19) Reducing reserves: Part of the council's budget always includes a contribution to the reserves. This will not take place in 2018/19, allowing the funds to be spent on front-line services. Estimated savings: £1,900,000 (all in 2018/19) Capital spending slippage: the council allocated its capital funding to projects in a given year; when these are delayed and move into the next financial year, it is known as 'slippage'. Each of the capital schemes in question are to funded through borrowing. Estimated savings: £296,000 (all in 2018/19) Democratic services (demand): IT will carry out changes to the council's software to make the website and accessing services online more efficient. Estimated savings: £58,000 (£29,000 in 2018/19, £27,000 in 2019/20) Democratic services (service levels): all staff will be asked to "make a one-off contribution" equivalent to two days' unpaid leave. The chair of the council will also reduce his spending, and less support and training will be given to councillors. Estimated savings: £5,500 (£8,000 in 2018/19, but cost of £2,500 in 2019/20) Democratic service (income generation): the council will seek to increase income where it provides management support to "external partners". It will also charge for school admissions and transport appeals, as well as making changes to its use of capital receipts in this area. Estimated savings: £98,000 (£56,500 in 2018/19, £41,500 in 2019/20) Pathway to Employment: this scheme is designed to help vulnerable people to get work experience and training so that they can enter the world of work. To achieve a saving, the council will make "no further commitment" to people in this situation. Estimated savings: nil (£93,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £93,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Staff awards: this annual award scheme will not take place this year. Estimated savings: nil (£5,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £5,000 in 2019/20 if it is resumed) IT resources (staff levels): permanent posts within the council's IT services will be reduced, with the service desk being cut to "minimum service levels". Existing staff may be laid off or "re-deployed", and some services may be brought in from a third party. Estimated savings: £188,700 (£59,100 in 2018/19, £129,600 in 2019/20) IT contracts and services: a small of number IT contracts will be cut, and the number of licenses included on existing contracts will be reduced. The council will also delay implementing improved security on its email system. Estimated savings: £129,400 (all in 2018/19) IT resources (capitalisation): the council will increase the recharges for staff costs relating to a number of IT projects being carried out this year. Estimated savings: £130,000 (all in 2018/19) IT traded services: reactive support (where problems are handed as they arise) will be reviewed in December, and existing resources will be used more flexibly. Estimated savings: £45,000 (all in 2018/19) Legal services (staff): one vacant post will not be replaced or filled, and the existing team's workload will be reduced with a view to cutting another post. There will also be a review of research publications and tools. Estimated savings: £45,300 (£17,400 in 2018/19, £27,900 in 2019/20) Legal services (children's services): the council will no longer physically attend meetings at children's social care area threshold meetings or public law outline meetings. Estimated savings: £28,800 (£16,800 in 2018/19, £12,000 in 2019/20)

The council's economic and community infrastructure (ECI) department is responsible for areas as varied as libraries, highway maintenance and the council's contribution to the Somerset Waste Partnership.

This department is currently forecasting an underspend of £0.066M - but it will still have to bear the brunt of these cuts:

Libraries: the way that libraries manage their stock of books etc. will be changed to reduce their overspend. Estimated savings: nil (£154,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £154,000 in 2019/20 if an overspend is repeated) Highways staff (distribution): staff currently divide their time between capital projects (e.g. new roads) and revenue projects (e.g. repairs to existing roads). The balance of their time between these two areas will be changed. Estimated savings: £307,000 (all in 2018/19) Unpaid leave: all staff are being asked to accept the same proposal as staff in adult services and children's services. Estimated savings: £85,000 (all in 2018/19) Highway lighting: capital receipts will be used to fund replacement street lights and to cover the cost of "unforeseen accident repairs" or the replacement of equipment which has failed official tests. Estimated savings: £300,000 (£400,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £100,000 in 2019/20) Roadside salt: all roadside salt supplies for the public (i.e. the yellow bins for people to clear footpaths) will be removed for the 2018/19 winter. Estimated savings: nil (£40,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £40,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Rights of Way: money being used on rights of ways (including footpaths and bridleways) will be shifted from revenue to capital spending. Estimated savings: £80,000 (£65,000 in 2018/19, £15,000 in 2019/20) Highways safety defects: More than £21,000 of the capital budget will go towards replacing pedestrian guard roads on roads, with more than £1,300 being set aside in capital spending for replacing road signs. Estimated savings: £22,600 (all in 2018/19) Elliott Buildings: the council will purchase the existing buildings at its West Somerset depot using capital funding, which will release money that they would have spent on leasing the building. Estimated savings: £10,000 (all in 2018/19) Hedge-cutting, ditch-clearing and ploughing: all three activities will cease for the rest of the year unless the public's safety is at risk. Estimated savings: nil (£62,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £62,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Grass-cutting: verges alongside A- and B-roads across the county will be cut less for the remainder of the year. Estimated savings: nil (£10,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £10,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) 'Confirm' software system: a new software system, and the accompanying purchase of personal digital assistants (PDAs) will be postponed for a year. Estimated savings: nil (£10,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £10,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Ditches and grips: all work on clearing and maintaining ditches and grips (a type of small ditch) will be moved from the council's revenue budget to its capital spending for the rest of the year. Estimated savings: nil (£25,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £25,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Drain jetting: the amount of drains and gullies being jetted to clear them will be reduced, and the council will be less able to respond reactively to blockages of this kind. Estimated savings: nil (£40,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £40,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Highways staff (levels): vacant posts within the highways team will either be deleted or left vacant. Estimated savings: £12,500 (£87,600 in 2018/19, but costs of £75,100 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Gritting roads in winter: the number of precautionary salting routes - where the council grits the roads ahead of forecast wintry weather - will be cut from 23 to 16. The cuts will remove gritting from roads linking Somerset to other counties, from settlements which are 500 feet or more above sea level, as well as cutting links between major settlements. Estimated savings: £120,000 (all in 2018/19) Highway fees: the council will charge higher fees for work being carried out near the road network or on vehicle crossings, to bring it into closer alignment with other local authorities. Estimated savings: £116,000 (£29,000 in 2018/19, £87,000 in 2019/20) Demand Responsive transport: the level of concessionary fare being provided to Slinky bus passengers who hold the national concessionary card will be cut from 100 per cent to 50 per cent. Estimated savings: £40,000 (£10,000 in 2018/19, £30,000 in 2019/20) Taunton Park and Ride: the park and ride services at both the Gateway and Silk Mills will be suspended "until finances allow for reinstatement". Estimated savings: £170,000 (£70,000 in 2018/19, £100,000 in 2019/20) In-house vehicles: the council will seek to generate more commercial income by the use of its existing vehicle fleet. Estimated savings: £100,000 (£50,000 in 2018/19, £50,000 in 2019/20) Subsidised school and public transport: a consultation will take place to look at the state of subsidised public transport in the county, including school transport, with a view towards renegotiating contracts, changes routes or altering the frequency of services. Estimated savings: nil (pending consultation) Road safety: there will be cuts to the traffic management and road safety budget. Estimated savings: £50,000 (all in 2018/19) Transformation of commissioning: capital receipts will be used to fund transformation work of the commissioning development team. Estimated savings: £103,000 (£25,000 in 2018/19, £78,000 in 2019/20) Commissioning staff: the community infrastructure commissioning team will be restructured, with a number of posts being deleted. Estimated savings: £134,000 (£62,000 in 2018/19, £72,000 in 2019/20) Flood and water management: a number of planned schemes will be halted, including two projects (one in Bruton, one in Curry Rivel). Road stabilisation work at a watercourse in Taunton Deane will be relayed, and flood risk studies will be delayed at four other locations. Estimated savings: nil (80,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £80,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Libraries service redesign: capital receipts will be used to fund the transformation of the service to deliver further savings. Estimated savings: nil (£65,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £65,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Recharging time: staff time and travel will be charged against a given capital project on which they are working, rather than coming out of revenue funding. Estimated savings: £20,000 (all in 2018/19) County Hall grounds maintenance: grass cutting and other maintenance at the council's Taunton base will be carried out less frequently. Estimated savings: £3,000 (all in 2018/19) Corporate Surveyor: the council will delay recruiting a replacement corporate surveyor for two months. Estimated savings: £3,000 (all in 2018/19) Capital receipts: the council will seek to generate an additional £1M in capital receipts by disposing of more of its assets. The money will be used to fund transformation projects throughout the authority and reduce pressures on revenue spending. Estimated savings: nil (£1,000,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £1,000,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Hinkley Point park and ride: Somerset Passenger Solutions wishes to rent a number of spaces at the Gateway park and ride site in Taunton to allow EDF employees to access the Hinkley Point C site. Estimated savings: £143,000 (£35,000 in 2018/19, £108,000 in 2019/20) Building repairs and maintenance: Maintenance will only be carried out when there is an "immediate and genuine health and safety risk" to the public. Estimated savings: £160,000 (£70,000 in 2018/19, £90,000 in 2019/20) Broughton House: contingency funding on this project will be removed, with the council "taking the risk" of unforeseen delays and cost. Estimated savings: nil (£5,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £5,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Professional training: all planned professional training will be deferred until April 2019. Estimated savings: nil (£5,000 in 2018/19, but costs of £5,000 in 2019/20 if not repeated) Marketing facilities: the council will seek to raise additional income through marketing its registration and scientific services, as well as reducing the size of the latter's vehicle fleet. Estimated savings: £10,400 (£2,000 in 2018/19, £8,400 in 2019/20) Ceremony fees: Non-statutory fees will be reviewed for the first time since 2014 to ensure that they continue to cover the costs of the services in question. Estimated savings: £20,000 (£1,000 in 2018/19, £19,000 in 2019/20)

If the council's cabinet approves all the proposals, it could result in up to 130 staff members losing their jobs as the council restructures its services around a new core offer, focussing on vulnerable children and adults.

Mr Fothergill added: "We have fantastic staff doing great work that improves the lives of residents every day, and it hurts that they will be affected by this and we will do everything we can to minimise the impacts."

The proposals will come before the council's policies and places scrutiny committee on September 11 in Taunton at 9:30am, before going forward to the cabinet at 10am the following day. The public are welcome to attend both meetings.

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