Freezing Council Tax for another year was just one of the number of yearly budget proposals approved by B&NES Council Cabinet members yesterday evening.
The budget was guided by the principles of protecting services to the public and investing in homes and jobs for local people.
Councillor Paul Crossley (Lib-Dem, Southdown), Leader of Council, said: “Through being financially responsible, the Council is able to protect many highly valued services to the public and invest in the future of our communities with new homes, jobs and local facilities.
“Our regeneration plans are well advanced across the area, such as the multi-million improvement project in Keynsham town centre. These will deliver improvements to people’s day-to-day lives and provide fantastic opportunities. However, this Council will never lose sight of its focus on the most vulnerable adults, children and families in order to achieve their potential.”
Councillor David Bellotti (Lib-Dem, Lyncombe), Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “By balancing the books, we are able to deliver a Council Tax freeze for the third year of this administration. By finding ways of being more efficient, we are able to avoid the cuts other councils have to make to their frontline services.
“As a listening Council, we’ve provided extra funding for services where the public have expressed concern about our proposals, such as for Children’s Centres and adult advice services.”
At the Cabinet meeting, which started at 6.30pm and concluded at 11.30pm, Conservative councillors came under fire for proposing a long series of last-minute amendments which totalled over £1m of unplanned expenditure.
Councillor Manda Rigby, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: “It is completely irresponsible of the Conservative Group to go on a spending spree with the Council reserves.
“These prudential reserves have a purpose and that purpose is to give this Council some insurance against the next round of government grant cuts and to ensure the continuing Council Tax freeze that helps our hard-pressed residents.
“If these amendments were important, why is the first we hear of them an hour before the budget meeting? There has been no chance for scrutiny or consultation – a process which has been in train for the past 12 months to give a robust budget, not a wish list of un-researched political postures.”
Councillor David Bellotti commented on the Conservative proposals saying: “This would be tantamount to raising Council Tax next year. Raiding the balances this year charges the residents next year.”
The Council are supporting hardworking families and businesses:
- Council Tax frozen for the fourth year running (Band ‘D’ – £1,201);
- All parking charges frozen – fourth year running for car parks and 70% of on-street spaces;
- Residents parking permits, visitor permits and trader permits frozen;
- 50 pence in every pound of Council Tax collected spent on services for vulnerable people, young and old.
The Council is also investing in the future of our communities:
Their major regeneration schemes including in Keynsham, Radstock, Bath Riverside Enterprise Area and Bath’s transport network upgrade will continue apace. On top of this:
- An additional £2 million for road resurfacing to help win the fight against potholes bringing the total investment over a three period to £9 million;
- £2.2 million on flood prevention measures to build community resilience against flooding, including investment in the Chew Magna property flood protection pilot covering sixty-nine properties;
- A £1 million Green Investment & Jobs Opportunities Fund for the Council to invest in renewable energy and create many new jobs in the local energy industry;
- £540,000 to improve play park and outdoor activities in recognition of the growing number of young families in our area.
The Council is also protecting services to the public:
- Because the Council has been financially responsible and made substantial back office efficiencies, service reductions are limited to £8.4 million over the three year budget plan period, or an average of 1.2% of our budget each year – despite a reduction in Government funding in response to the financial crisis of £16 million over the three year plan period;
- Street cleaners, weekly bin collections, supported buses, lollipop patrols, Recycling Centres, leisure centres, community meals and our library branches amongst many other services will continue to be protected;
- In response to concerns by members of the public, extra funding than planned is allocated for early year’s services (including Children’s Centre services), public conveniences, public protection and adult advice services.
Amendments to the Cabinet budget proposal included:
Moved by the Liberal Democrat Group:
- To earmark an on-going revenue allocation of £300,000 for 2015/2016 onwards to be ring-fenced to further reduce the savings required specifically relating to Children’s Centre Services. It is intended that this funding will be allocated as part of the 2015/2016 revenue budget;
- To allocate a sum of up to £200,000 in 2014/2015 to support the transition and implementation of the new delivery model for Early Years and Children’s Centre services. This funding will be allocated from the Council’s Financial Planning Reserve as may be required during the financial year;
- To allocate a sum of up to £40,000 as one-off funding to fund a temporary increase in capacity to support the delivery of the recommendations arising from the Boat Dwellers and River Travellers Task and Finish Group. This funding will be allocated from the Council’s Financial Planning Reserve as may be required during the financial year.
- To allocate £100,000 on-going revenue funding from 2014/2015 to provide additional resources to support subsidised bus routes in new housing developments.
- To allocate £60,000 on-going revenue funding from 2014/2015 to maintain appropriate existing or alternative provisions for emergency alarms for vulnerable adults.
Moved by the Conservative Group:
- To allocate £100,000 over two years from the Financial Planning Reserve to support the delivery of the Council’s Advice Services Strategy and protect as far as possible the universal advice services currently provided under contract for the Council;
- To allocate £50,000 from the Financial Planning Reserve to create a Looked After Children & Disabled Young Persons fund, which can be used for the following purposes;To allocate £200k as a revenue contribution to capital from the Financial Planning Reserve for additional funding for Disabled Facilities Grants.
- to enable foster carers to access grants to provide activities, facilities and equipment for children in their care;
- to meet exceptional needs linked to the learning and achievement of Looked After children;
- to enable the parents, foster carers and legal guardians of young disabled people supported by the Council’s Disabled Children’s Team to access funds to meet or enhance the equipment needs of these children.
