LABOUR has been accused of ‘hiding in the shadows’ as councillors are warned Slough’s mounting pressures paint a “very stark picture”.

As part of their review of Slough Borough Council (SBC), government appointed commissioners, who were sent in to help fix the authority’s issues, warned of tough decisions, increase in fees and charges, and service cuts that are needed to bring the council back to an even keel.

SBC was forced to declare bankruptcy last year after it was later unearthed it was facing a £479m blackhole and is £760m in borrowing debt.

The council is needing to sell up to £600m of its £1.2bn-worth of assets to reduce its debt. But the commissioners wrote when SBC strips out properties it can’t sell, such as parks and schools, it will need to sell most of its assets “without exception.”

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This places a risk on the town’s libraries, children’s centres, community hubs, and housing stock transfer to be sold off.

Council leader James Swindlehurst (Lab: Cippenham Green) said he was “determined” for the authority to be left with some buildings to serve residents.

The commissioners also warned these major decisions are a risk as the council does not have sufficient officers with the skills and competence to deliver this.

They wrote: “This is a very stark picture, and it is a direct consequence of the decisions taken and errors made in the past. They cannot be undone. All the council can do now is put things right.”

Conservative leader Dexter Smith (Colnbrook with Poyle) said at an annual full council meeting the ruling Labour group will need to “come out of the shadows” and accused them of making past decisions “behind closed doors”.

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He said: “The people of Slough will over this year learn much more on what the consequences of the bankruptcy of this council are.”

However, deputy leader Pavitar K. Mann (Lab: Britwell & Northborough) denied Labour has ever hidden in the shadows and that Slough residents “still do not trust the Tories” to take the town forward following this month’s election.

She said: “We are very upfront about the fact that it is [council finances] very bleak. We face a very tough and a very painful uphill battle and the decisions that are going to have to be made to get us back onto recovery.

“We have never hidden away from that.”

The meeting took place on Thursday, May 19.