Oldham Council has denied any decisions have been taken after social media rumours that it was planning to get rid of its agency street cleaning and gardening staff.

The council is currently in the process of consulting residents over budget cuts, with council leader Arooj Shah saying that there was ‘nothing left to slice off’ in an interview.

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The budget constraints – which mean the council needs to find £30m worth of cuts – have led to some worrying that street cleaning and gardening could be among services at risk of being cut back.

The consultation, running until Friday, February 9, asks residents and businesses two questions: where they think the council should save money, and what areas they think the council should be spending money on.

Oldham Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods, which covers areas including environmental services, waste and recycling, and parks, said that no decisions were final.

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Cllr Chris Goodwin said: “We are in the process of setting our budget for the borough.

“Government cuts to council funding mean that budgets get smaller every year but demand for our services from local residents who desperately need our support continues to increase year on year.

“This means that money gets tighter and we are being forced to take £30m out of our budget over the next two financial years, this means we have some difficult choices to make. 

“I must stress no final decisions have been made about any budget options, and we are currently asking people to have their say via the council website.”

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