Aberdeen Budget 2021: Where could savings be made?

Aberdeen City Council must find more than £30 million to balance its financial shortfall for the coming year.

Council officers have brought forward a range of options to be considered at next Wednesday’s meeting, where councillors will decide the budget for 2021/22.

A number of options have already been rejected, such as increasing parking permit fees, raising the garden waste charge and ending discretionary school transport.

Here are some of the things being considered to make up the savings:

• 10% reduction in funding for VisitAberdeenshire – £26,000
• Reducing funding for Aberdeen Inspired and Thomas Glover House – £30,000
• Reduced international travel to reflect Covid-19 restrictions – £50,000
• Staffing redesign to remove vacant posts – £213,000
• End provision of taxi marshals in city centre – £70,000
• Relocation of Dyce library to community facility – £25,000
• Stopping or reducing grass cutting – £100,000
• Closure of manned public toilets and exploring automated options at parks and beach – £95,000
• Reduction in number of bins or frequency of emptying  – £80,000
• Reduction in spend on paths and street furniture, replacing funding with grants – £45,000