Council: Census figures are still 10,000 short

John Dickens • Published 9 Aug 2012 07:30 Comments 1 Comment

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THE council is set to lobby government to protect it from future funding cuts by arguing it has at least 10,000 more residents than the 140,000 the 2011 Census suggests.

Census results, released last month, showed a massive 16.3% population rise in ten years in Slough - the tenth highest increase in 326 local authorities across England.

However council officials believe the number is still short of the actual number of residents and they plan to highlight the issue to halt further funding cuts.

Ruth Bagley, Slough Borough Council chief executive, said: "We are still convinced the population is higher again and we will lobby for improvement."

Councillors agreed to commission a report to explore inaccuracies in the population count at a cabinet meeting at Chalvey Community Centre, in The Green, on Tuesday.

The council will also now work with other local authorities, which have experienced high population rises, to better understand how it will affect central government funding.

Ms Bagley added: "It's difficult to predict today what the financial outcome will be, but it must have a more positive than negative impact.

"Any benefit, if it arises, will be slow, but it should be a protection against losing further funding."

Council officials will trawl through school waiting lists, child benefit registers and GP patient lists to tot up a more accurate number of residents.

Council leader Rob Anderson added: "The best we can hope for is that our cuts are less."

This article appeared in Local Berkshire 08 Aug 12

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JUDGE1066
273 posts
Aug 9, 19:02
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Try visiting the sheds, that might account for a few thousand :-)

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