Bad weather over the winter looks set to cost Craven District Council an £11,000 loss in car parking income.

The council had expected to make £40,000 extra after putting up parking prices in April last year, but winter’s appalling weather left the town’s car parks empty for weeks.

At the latest policy meeting, opposition councillors questioned predicted savings, including staff restructuring, making 20 per cent of the workforce redundant, parking charge increases and changes to waste collection.

The cost of introducing alternate weekly waste collections had been higher than expected, but that was expected to improve.

Questions were also raised about fly-tipping and whether alternate weekly collections had resulted in the council having to clear up dumped rubbish.

Councillors were also told that long-term sickness in the waste department had meant employing agency staff – at additional expense.

Fears were also raised about likely cuts in the council’s government funding.

But councillors were told the council had, in fact, secured net cost savings of around 22 per cent over 18 months.

Chief executive Paul Shevlin said changes to waste collection had been a success and the council was now operating within its bounds.

“We were spending at a greater rate than our income,” he said. “What we have done had to be done to establish the correct base for this authority.”

And Susan Goodhall, executive director of resources, said she believed the council was well-placed to cope with any government funding cuts because Craven was a council tax-rich authority.

“I am certain there will be an impact and it might be severe, but I am confident that we are in a reasonable state to weather it,” she said.

Coun Robert Heseltine (Ind) claimed a reduction in car parking revenue was a direct result of increases in parking charges.

“There has been a significant increase in parking charges over the last two years and, as a resident of Skipton, I know full well that people are avoiding the car parks and parking in streets. People are saying they are not prepared to pay,” he said.

“I think the shortfall is more to do with increasing prices than bad weather.”

But Mrs Goodhall said revenue from car parks had increased until the bad weather.

The council, which had predicted additional income for 2009/10 of £40,000 from parking, now expected a shortfall of £11,000.

“Prior to December, we were running well ahead. People were holidaying in Skipton because of the recession and it did result in an increase in car parking revenue, but in the winter the car parks were virtually empty for a couple of months,” said Mrs Goodhall.

Overall, the council had spent £298,000 less than it had budgeted for during 2009/10. And by efficiency cuts – including staff restructuring and redundancies – it had reduced its budget by £1.7 million.

After the meeting, council leader Coun Chris Knowles-Fitton (Cons) said the council had achieved much.

“Over the past year we have been able to present an improving picture of the council’s finances, culminating in a dramatic reduction of what we spend,” he said.

“This has been achieved without impacting on our frontline services while offering residents more for their money by increasing kerbside recycling.

“This is no mean feat for a council with a small budget.”

He said the council was on target to build up its previously depleted reserves to between £650,000 and £700,000 by the end of the financial year. Further savings are expected with the council’s move next year to Belle Vue Mills and the “embedding” of the staffing restructure.