PEOPLE in York were not given enough chance to have their say on council cuts and the funding crisis in social care, it has been claimed.

The city council published its budget and tax plans for 2017/18 last week, but has now come in for criticism over a lack of consultation with people in York.

Last night the council executive met to discuss finances, and faced complaints from members of the public, opposition Labour councillors, and even councillors on the Conservative- Lib Dem ruling executive.

Democracy campaigner Gwen Swinburn told the meeting that councils in Leeds, Birmingham and Rotherham have all given people many chances to comment on the funds they proposed to cut.

In contrast, people in York were sent a questionnaire which did not mention specific budgets, and many received it just days before or even after the deadline for responding. The city council’s chief executive Mary Weastell had not replied to her questions about whether York’s consultation was even legal, Ms Swinburn added.

Her complaints were echoed by Labour councillor Stuart Barnes, who said the council had missed an opportunity by not asking people what they thought about the crisis in funding for social care, and council tax increases.

“I genuinely think that given the profile of the issues nationally and here in York, that had we gone out to consultation the public may have taken the view that additional investment [in social care] would be a price worth paying,” Cllr Barnes said.

The 2017/18 budget includes a three per cent increase in council tax to pay for social care, the highest increase possible, but only a 0.7 per cent general rise when councillors could have taken up to 1.99 per cent.

Deputy council leader Keith Aspden said people who responded to the survey largely preferred council tax increases to cuts in services, while Cllr Stuart Rawlings said the authority needed to do better if they really were to be a “listening council”.

However, council leader David Carr said they needed to remember that many York people are already struggling financially, without even higher council tax bills, and strike a balance between that and the overwhelming financial pressures faced, especially in adult social care.

However, he admitted that consultation could have been better, and promised the chief executive would be responding to questions over its legality.

At the same meeting councillors approved the sale of the old Fordland care home site to Octopus Healthcare, who want to build a new 62 bed nursing and care home on the site.

Cllr Carol Runciman, who has the portfolio for adult social care and health, said a new home would make a major contribution to older people’s accommodation in the city.

They also approved plans to set up a new regional adoption agency. York is to join councils in East and North Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire and Hull to create One Adoption North and Humber, which will be based in York.