ALMOST £400,000 has been reallocated to reverse a number of 2023-24 budget savings at Stirling Council.

Elected representatives on Thursday, March 30, approved a motion that reversed the decision to allocate £392,000 to Sistema Scotland to deliver Big Noise programmes in the area.

It came as Sistema received funding from the Scottish Government to the tune of £1.5m to deliver its projects in 2023-24.

The money will instead be used to reinstate savings that were agreed during the budget setting process earlier in March.

This will mean no change to the opening times at Fintry and Aberfoyle nurseries, no increase in non-statutory childcare fees or MECS charges and no removal of the Springkerse park and ride bus service.

It also means no reduction in the budgets for the Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise, Stirling Community Enterprise and Events including book and science festival.

The reallocated £392k will mean, too, that there will be no removal of the 100 per cent bulky waste uplift subsidy for residents over the age of 60, no full cost recovery for the Bridge of Allan allotment site and no reduction to universal youth provision.

Since the original decision was taken less than six months ago, two thirds of councillors had to agree to revoke it before the motion could be considered.

Council leader Chris Kane said: “This budget for the coming year was painful to set, but the funding settlement from the Scottish Government left us no option other than to take tough decisions on a range of local services.

“The news of £1.5m of national funding for Big Noise allowed us to revisit a small number of decisions for the coming year in Stirling.

“I recognise that supporters of the services given a reprieve will be relieved, but others will be disappointed at the savings that remain.

“With the ongoing uncertainty of local government finance, it’s important we continue to take steps to secure the council’s long-term sustainability as we look to the 2024-25 budget.

“I want to stress that we remain committed to working with Sistema in delivering the transformative Big Noise programme in Raploch and Fallin and will play a constructive part in talks with the Scottish Government and Sistema to secure long term funding arrangements.”