Borough Bins Lib Dem Improvements

9.49.12am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 9th Feb 2006

Christine McHugh Is Disappointed That Improvements For The Borough Have Been Turned Down

Proposals put forward to improve services offered to borough residents were binned following a meeting of the Borough Council.

The Lib Dems had put forward the proposals which centred on environmental and community safety issues for consideration as part of this year's budget. The proposals used funding from unspent council coffers so as not to cost tax payers more on the Council Tax. Savings were even identified that would have lowered council tax bills. Now the prospect of these schemes being introduced looks remote.

The proposals focused on:

*Environmental Schemes* such as, extra street clean ups, measures to tackle climate change and encouraging more people to recycle,

AND

New Portable CCTV Camera's Are Amongst The Initiatives That Weren't Supported

*Community Safety Schemes* such as portable CCTV cameras for a rapid response and recording of evidence, youth activity areas, and the continuation of the successful street schemes run for young people in the borough.

It was proposed that £810,000 be allocated to help to tackle the housing waiting list but this was rejected by the Mayor who incorrectly denied that the Borough was a Housing Authority.

Speaking following the meeting, Lib Dem Deputy Leader Christine McHugh said:

"It's very disappointing that once again the Mayor and his Labour and Conservative allies have turned down the opportunity to improve services for the borough by opposing our ideas. Our suggestions focused on the priority areas of protecting and improving our environment and improving community safety. We proposed improvements such as portable CCTV cameras, energy efficiency measures, extra street cleaning and increased recycling, real suggestions to make a real difference to the way we all live in the borough.

Many of our environmental suggestions would have saved the tax payer money in the long run by cutting energy bills and reducing the amount we send to landfill. Last year the areas that operated the street schemes saw a 22% reduction in incidents of anti-social behaviour, saving money and giving greater peace of mind.

Latest figures show that since the Mayor came to power revenue reserves have increased by over £350,000. We had identified savings from these reserves and other unallocated funds that meant there wouldn't be any extra cost to tax payers, we'd even identified a reduction in the council tax rate.

The decision to ignore our suggestions means that this money will now stay in council coffers and for all we know it may even be in the council's coffers when the government abolishes the Borough Council in favour of a unitary council, so residents may never get a direct benefit from the tax they've paid over the years."

Ends