Are the wheels coming off the Wiltshire Council Bus?

Figures released that the Council Cabinet meeting held in Trowbridge on Tuesday in the Budget Monitoring report showed uncontrolled spending in Adult Care and difficulties in reducing costs.

The Conservative administration's four-year financial plan is only part way through it's first year and already it appears that the numbers do not add up.

This is obviously concerning the Conservative Cabinet, and some of their recent decision making, for instance car parking charges, cuts to the Youth Service and now the proposed removal of an expensively recruited Chief Executive.

Mark Packard, the Liberal Democrat lead member for Finance and Resources, commented "The wheels appear to be coming of the council's four-year financial plan. I am worried that the cabinet are floundering about and making knee-jerk decisions when a well through out financial plan is what is needed in the current climate".

Lib Dem Group leader Jon Hubbard added, "We are increasing seeing these panic decisions being made by an administration that is increasingly looking out of it's depth. It's clear that there is no realistic long-term plan by the administration, rather than proactive planning we have reactive panic."