Budget plans will 'change Dumfries and Galloway for the better'

The budget plans agreed by Dumfries and Galloway Council will “change Dumfries and Galloway for the better” according to Council Leader Ronnie Nicholson.

The proposals agreed at Full Council today include a commitment to deliver Dumfries and Galloway’s first ever anti-poverty strategy, backed up by a £1m per year anti- poverty fund and proposals to work with the Council’s contractors to roll out the Living Wage across the region.

But opponents of the budget are concerned about the cuts to learning support included in the plans.

Fifty-two learning assistant jobs are set to go as part of an attempt to make £32 million worth of savings over the next three years.

The council says it has set aside £500,000 for a review of learning support services.