Scrap plans for car parking charge rises, urge Liberal Democrats in alternative council budget

1.05.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 26th Feb 2008

Liberal Democrats in Kettering have unveiled alternative proposals to the budget of Conservative-run Kettering Borough Council

Local Liberal Democrat campaigners have put scrapping planned rises in car parking charges and tackling waste at the core of the party's "alternative budget" for Kettering Borough Council.

The proposals, which the group intends to propose at a meeting of the Council on Thursday at which the annual budget will be decided, would:

§ Freeze charges for car parking in Kettering town centre.

§ Reduce from 6% to 4% the increase in charges proposed for users of Kettering crematorium;

§ Increase funding for tackling litter and for town and parish councils; and

§ Reduce the proposed rise in council tax to 4.65%, compared to 4.75% proposed by the Conservatives, and balance the budget as required by law.

The plans would be funded by reducing waste and reversing above-inflation rises in councillors' allowances - approved by Labour and Conservative councillors last June - raising a total of £73,417 for council services.

Commenting on the proposals, Lib Dem spokesperson Chris Nelson said, "With a legacy of Government underfunding and Conservative overspending, the budget proposed by this administration leaves the people of Kettering footing the bill - through another inflation-busting rise in council tax and higher charges for council services.

"Yet even though budgets are tight, it is clear to anyone who views the worrying number of empty shops in Kettering town centre that to impose above-inflation rises in car parking charges is only going to encourage more shoppers to travel elsewhere, putting the health of our town centre unnecessarily at risk.

"In our alternative budget, we show how a few small but important changes would allow us to reduce unfair charges, protect the services of town and parish councils and give council tax payers something back, with a small increase in funding to tackle litter.

"While last year's overspending means we can't propose as many changes as we would like, we believe the package that we have proposed can deliver a better budget without increasing the level of council tax still further. I urge the Conservative administration to give them full consideration."

ENDS

Notes:

1. The Conservatives' proposed budget for 2008/9 can be downloaded here: http://www.kettering.gov.uk/downloads/Section_1_1_.xls. No changes were made to this budget at the Executive Committee meeting held on Wednesday 13th February 2008.

2. Details of increase to councillors allowances: On 27th June 2007, a meeting of Full Council voted to increase the councillors' basic allowance by £887 (from £3,548 to £4,435, see http://www.kettering.gov.uk/downloads/x8_b.xls for details). For all 36 councillors, this totals £31,932 and is a rise of 25%. All but one councillor present (Cllr. Derek Zanger) voted to approve the increase (see http://www.kettering.gov.uk/downloads/mins_40_.doc, item 07.C.26. part (ix)).

KETTERING LIBERAL DEMOCRAT ALTERNATIVE BUDGET 2008/9: Summary

Extra investments (total: £61,417):

§ Freeze rises in car parking charges for 2008/9: £27,000 (Reversing a Conservative proposal for an above-inflation rise of 3.17%)

§ Reduce Kettering Crematorium charge rises from 6% to 4% for 2008/9: £16,667

§ Increased investment to tackle litter: £10,000§ Reducing council tax rise from 4.75% to 4.65%: £5,000 (1% rise = £50,000)

§ Raise increase in parish/town council grants from 0.1% to 2.2% (level of inflation): £2,750

Paid by additional savings (total: £73,419):

§ Freeze budget for "central support services" (1.1% efficiencies): £50,390

§ Reverse above-inflation rise in basic councillor's allowance: £23,027 (Reduces the level of basic allowances to a level equivalent to a rise of 2.75% in 2007/8 and 2.75% in 2008/9. 2.75% was the rise applied to the Mayor's special allowance in 2007/8 and was described as being in line with inflation.)

Balance sheet:

§ Extra investments: - £61,417

§ Additional savings: + £73,417

§ SUBTOTAL: + £12,000

§ Removing deficit in current Conservative budget: - £12,000

§ FINAL SURPLUS/DEFICIT: £0 (balanced budget)

§ Council tax rise applied: 4.65% (0.1% less than Conservative budget)