Trafford Conservatives will propose Trafford's budget for 2012/13 at a full Council meeting on Wednesday night. It will continue their record of delivering massive savings from lower management and back office costs and more efficient and effective methods of service delivery.

By maximising efficiencies, local Conservatives are able to invest more in supporting the vulnerable, our town centres and resident priorities including community safety, whilst also freezing Council Tax for a record second year running (saving an average household over £100 in real terms).

Amongst other initiatives, Conservatives are proposing extra cash in the following area:

• £2.2m extra to support vulnerable children and older people;

• £0.75m extra to boost our town centres, including £0.3m to green our town centres;

• £0.65m cash to improve roads and pavements (equivalent of 22,000 square metres of additional footway repairs); and

• £0.2m extra to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, targeting the minority of persistent offenders who adversely affect residents' quality of life.

Services will also be boosted through the use of technology, including telecare for elderly or vulnerable residents (helping them to live more independent lives), e-books in libraries and electronic payments for school meals.

Trafford Conservatives are targeting management and back office staff to achieve efficiencies. On top of savings of £1.7m and £1.4m in reduced management and back office costs (human resources, finance, training, performance and communications) this year, a further £2.0m will be saved in 12/13.

As a result of the high level of efficiencies achieved and unlike many Labour Councils, Trafford Conservatives will:

• keep our library buildings open;

• maintain some of the lowest parking charges in the country;

• maintain school crossing patrols; and

• keep youth centres, community buildings and children’s centres open.

The Trafford Labour party continue to oppose the Council's efficiency programme (which will save £7.4million in 12/13) and opposed the Council's plans to reduce the number of administration buildings (which will save over £5million and reduce our carbon footprint by 30%). Their policies would result in a massive budget black hole that could only be filled by huge front line cuts or Council Tax hikes.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Matt Colledge, said:

"In Trafford our council faces a £60 million pound reduction in spending over the four years, equivalent to one third of our budget. As any householder knows this is a difficult task. However this budget for 2012-13 is clear, we will make a large step towards these savings but in a way that protects our front line services. Not for us are closures to Libraries, Community Centres and Childrens Centres. Careful budgeting and efficient use of money will keep these, and many more front line services, open. Trafford Conservatives are committed to keeping services running."

Exec Member for Finance, Cllr Sean Anstee, said:

"For the second successive year, Conservatives in Trafford have responded to the challenge of the Comprehensive Spending Review with a budget that roots out further efficiencies, protects the most vulnerable, keeps open libraries and day care centres and includes a significant investment in our town centres."

"Not once have the Labour party come clean to the residents of Trafford to explain how they would meet the challenge, most likely because they do not have an alternative that is credible or that would do anything other than randomly slash services and impose misery on the most vulnerable, through a cobbled together, unconsidered approach."

Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Alex Williams, said:

"This budget will drive out even more savings from back office and management functions, allowing us to invest in protecting front line services, including supporting the most vulnerable."

"The Trafford Labour Group oppose our efficiency programme and would have to make massive cuts to basic services as a result."