Bath and North East Somerset Council set it’s budget last week for the next year. The Conservatives increased tax by 3.5%, including £1million to prop up the council pension fund, and a further £800,000 to investigate building new offices. Despite being a potential beneficiary of both offices and generous pension fund, I did not vote in favour!
The Liberal Democrats instead proposed an alternative budget. Our fully costed plans cost less than the Conservatives, yet still managed to find £500,000 extra to spend on street cleaning, significant extra investment in the Youth Service (subject to Tory cuts), improved recycling services and £3million to fund a new school transport plan.
Instead of forcing a bus road through Newbridge, I supported a plan to get thousands more school children onto buses, reducing peak time congestion. The eventual plan is for ‘free’ bus travel for all children, as it currently is for older people. The concessionary fares scheme has been very successful at one end of the age range, we would like to start children on buses, so that they become public transport users for the rest of their lives.
As predicted, the Labour councillors abstained (hardly worth them travelling to the meeting) so the Conservatives were able to push through their budget. The Conservative deputy leader said that now was not the time for public spending, we needed to save for a rainly day. I would like to point out that it is currently raining and that public spending is exactly what is needed. Given that reduced access to finance is a contributor to this recession, increasing council tax and then squirrelling millions away in reserves and pension funds is not helping the situation. More money is taken away from taxpayers and even less comes out of the system than normal!
The closest vote of the night was unexpected and wonderfully dramatic. Normally most council meeting follow a predictable pattern, but here – almost uniquely – the debate changed the meeting.
Cllr Tim Ball (Lib Dem, Twerton) proposed a personal motion to set aside a little money to fund a creche in his ward. BathNES council plans to cut the creche’s funding, causing its closure. Single parents who leave their children at the creche in order to work, will no longer be able to do either. The debate followed predictable lines until a Conservative member made a more-than-usually offensive remark about the poverty trap, to shocked silence. In response, a rarely heard Liberal Democrat councillor gave an stunning unplanned speach about the purpose of our council; to help those in need. It was enough to turn both the Labour and Indepedent councillors to vote with the Liberal Democrats in favour of the creche. Two Conservatives were shamed into abstaining, but sadly the remainder chose to vote against the creche, meaning that the funding bid fell. I understand that behind the scenes negotiations are now underway.
