Quirky spending cuts - our top ten
Some of the strangest spending cuts in the South of England...
At Number One it has to be Southampton City Council saving 10 grand by not binning the bins, or as they put it: "keeping slightly damaged refuse collection containers."
Dorset County Council's big streetlight switch-off is at Number Two. It saves a mammoth £150,000 from the electricity bill, but will there be more accidents?
Saving pounds by spending a penny - at Number Three it's the Isle of Wight Council's plan to hand over 18 of its 60 public conveniences to volunteers.
Where there's muck - Portsmouth is saving £5,000 a year at Number Four by not fertilising sports pitches.
At Number FiveOxford City Council is asking people who use bowling greens to do the mowing themselves.
And Reading has two grass related cuts - at Number Six they've reduced the trimming of roadside verges from 10 to five times a year to save £80,000.
At Number Seven they're saving £35,000 replacing seasonal bedding with low-maintenance shrubs or grass.
Worthing Council has hit a snag with Number Eight. Passing on the management costs of sponsoring roundabouts has cut their income - doh!
But surely the quirkiest quirky cut - at Number Nine Southampton crematoriums aiming to save £30,000 by "using gas more efficiently"...
...Well, you can't take it with you.
and Number Ten?
Sorry, we're having to make efficiency savings. Please add your own Number Ten below...
Welcome to the hustings! I'm Peter Henley, the BBC's political reporter in the south of England. From parish councils in Sussex, to European politics in Oxford, this is the blog for you. 
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.