Exeter Labour slashes Patrollers and Environmental Health staff

Labour-controlled Exeter City Council decided to slash Community Patrol and Environmental Health staff at an Executive meeting today. Cllr Adrian Fullam (Lib Dem) criticised the decision: "These lost services are a direct result of the £2m debt repayments the Council is now paying after years of overspending." Community Patrol is being reduced from 7 staff to 4 staff. Environmental Enforcement is being reduced from 5 staff to 3 staff. This will make it more difficult for the Council to monitor and report anti-social behaviour and will reduce the ability of the Council to report problems in the community such as noise nuisance. Response times to enquiries from the public are bound to get a lot worse.

Cllr Fullam said: "The Liberal Democrat approach is to spend within budgets and to prioritise local services in the community, controlled by the community. Our priority is quality of life where people live, not unsustainable development and vanity projects."

To see the Council report go to this link and go to page 25: committees.exeter.gov.uk/documents/g3608/Public%20reports%20pack%2024th-Jun-2014%2017.30%20Executive.pdf