Cuts of £54.4 million and an unprecedented number of questions - just another Valentine's Day Cabinet meeting in Barnet

Tomorrow night, Monday 14 February, Valentine's Day (grr!) Barnet council cabinet will meet to discuss a number of important questions.

These include:
- proposed axing of sheltered housing wardens
- proposals to cut the number of children's centres from 21 to 13
- proposals to raise charges for social services
- proposals to raise parking and other 'revenue income' charges
- how the council proposes to cut £54.4 million from its spending in the next three years.

This meeting, then, is the big one! (To be followed in the next few months and years, I suspect, by several more big ones, as the hoped-for savings from One Barnet do not materialise, and the council makes further cuts to plug the resulting gap.)

Residents are still just about allowed to have a say at these events, in the form of public questions. We are allowed up to 20 questions but only if they fit into half an hour, because that is our time limit.

Apparently, not surprisingly, an 'unprecedented number of questions' has been submitted for tomorrow night, including mine - I am questioning the proposed abolition of the youth services.

Sheltered housing residents will demonstrate in front of Hendon Town Hall, where the meeting takes place, from 6pm. Please join us if you can!