In 2014 – before cuts were introduced – the States Parks and Gardens Department spent just over £2m on staff, equipment, materials and contractors. Figures for this year show that’s been cut to just over £1.5m – a saving of almost £0.5m.
Figures for cleaning costs are almost as dramatic. They’ve come down from £1.75m in 2014, to just under £1.5m this year, a reduction of almost £0.25m.
The information has been released in response to a request unto the Freedom of Information law.
The savings are part of a long-term States policy to cut public spending. Although welcomed by many, the policy has come in for strong criticism from other quarters in particular unions and political party Reform.
A number of projets lodged by Deputy Geoff Southern to slow down the pace of outsourcing and to give workers more rights have on the whole been rejected by the States.