Wokingham District Council Budget - Lib Dem Response (Wokingham Liberal Democrats)

Wokingham Liberal Democrats <info@wokinghamlibdems.org.uk>

Wokingham District Council Budget - Lib Dem Response

February 25, 2005 12:00 AM

Liberal Democrats have welcomed the low increase in Council Tax that Wokingham District Council announced at last night's Council Budget meeting.

Councillor Coling Lawley (Leader of the Liberal Democrat Councillor Group) said, "The Conservative administration has an extra £11.5 million to spend this year. The Tories could have used this generous grant from the Government to avoid any increase in the Council Tax, and to substantially enhance services to improve the quality of the lives of all our residents. Nevertheless, the low increase will be a relief to our residents, especially those on low incomes.

"It's difficult to identify any benefits in the Tory budget:

"The capital programme has been slashed by 25%, down from £20 million to £15 million. This means that fewer roadworks will be carried out and less essential maintenance to our crumbling school buildings.

"On top of that, the Tories are still hell-bent on carrying out their plans to sell off

land and buildings. Flogging off the family silver will lead to more housing in the district and less income for the Council. In the short term, this will make the Tories look as if they can balance the Council's books, but in the end it will be the residents who pay.

"It's the most vulnerable people in our community who have been hit hardest by this unimaginative budget. Council buildings need £11 million to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act's requirements, but the Tories have only allowed £100,000. At this rate it will take forever.

"Maybe the worst sleight of hand trick the Tories have pulled off is their failure to deliver on their promise of a purpose built facility to replace the WROC building in Wokingham. They promised three centres to cater for some of the most profoundly disabled people in the district. WROC users now hire a couple of rooms in a community centre and a church. The purpose built facility, as promised by the Tories, turns out to be a couple of rooms in a proposed community centre in Woosehill. This is nothing short of a betrayal."

Councillor Prue Bray (Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem Councillor Group) said, "Coling asked the Tories to increase the benefits of the Concessionary Fares scheme for elderly and disabled residents from £40 worth of free travel tokens to £45 (£80 to £90 in the case of those on the lowest incomes). I deeply regret that the Tories refused to do this. They have increased the Council Tax year on year, but they haven't increased the benefits of the Concessionary Fares scheme.

"The Lib Dems voted against the budget because of the Tories' mean-spirited refusal to give more benefits to the elderly and disabled."

Councillor Alan Spratling (previous Leader of the Lib Dem Councillor Group) said, "This is an accountants' budget when it should have been a people's budget."