CUTBACKS: £6m Rotherham Partnership reward cash blow

ROTHERHAM’S loss of £6 million reward cash because of Goverment cuts is “like passing a driving test but being denied a licence,” one frustrated council Cabinet member has said.

The Rotherham Partnership was awarded the grant for hitting targets over the past four years.

The Local Area Agreement cash—split over two years—would have been injected into struggling borough council departments and the town centre.

But it now appears that the cheque will never be signed, as the coalition’s belt-tightening to beat the national deficit begins to have an effect at ground level.

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Rotherham councillors could even be forced to scrap this year’s budget and head back to the drawing board to take account of the changes, including those delivered by the

Government’s emergency budget on Tuesday.

Rotherham Borough Council will have to review £100 million-plus of capital projects slated for 2010/11, including beginning construction on six new schools.

Cllr Ken Wyatt, Cabinet member for resources, said: “The loss of the LAA reward grant is the hardest to swallow.

“It’s like passing a driving test but then being denied a licence to drive.”

Regional development agency Yorkshire Forward for further monetary constraints on projects.

A spokesman said: “We have prepared and presented options to Government which reflect budget cuts of up to £44 million, from our current budget of £277 million.

“We now await a final decision from ministers on this and will work with Government and our partners to communicate the decision once made.”

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