Council tax to rise as services are cut (From York Press)

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York council tax to rise by 2.9% as services are cut

10:50am Saturday 4th February 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Mark Stead, Political Reporter

Refuse collection rounds may be given a shake-up as part of the city council’s programme of money- saving measures which have just been detailed.

COUNCIL tax bills in York are set to rise by 2.9 per cent and a range of front-line services will be cut as the city’s leaders try to save £19.7 million over the next two years.

The Beckfield Lane waste recycling centre will be closed and sold for housing, parking charges will be increased, some litter bins will be removed and free black bin bags will no longer be provided to residents, under proposals unveiled by City of York Council’s ruling Labour cabinet yesterday. Bin rounds could also be rearranged to reduce costs but could potentially mean householders having different collections on different days.

The budget, first revealed on thepress.co.uk yesterday afternoon, also includes funding cuts for community organisations and a £200,000 reduction in highway maintenace, with more emphasis on reactive work where needed.

The Future Prospects employment service will be reviewed to save £100,000, parking charges will rise by 20p an hour for residents and 10p an hour for non-residents and the cost of bereavement services will increase, while 100 council jobs are set to go next year and a similar number in 2013/14.

Gritting routes, grass-cutting, gully-cleaning and parks maintenance face being scaled back, spending on local ward committees will fall by £220,000 through “restructuring”, and winter salt bins will be left out all year round to cut collection costs.

The proposed council tax rise equates to £31.72 a year more for Band D properties. Council leader James Alexander said accepting a £1.8 million Government grant to freeze bills in 2012/13 would have been “irresponsible”. He said it would have meant a huge council tax increase in 2013/14 and threatened funding for vulnerable people and York’s libraries, children’s centres and leisure facilities.

But Local Government Minister Bob Neill said York’s proposed rise was “incredibly inconsiderate”, adding: “The council cannot justify it and it ought to put their residents first.”

The budget outlines a £1.5 million increase in adult social care and £500,000 more for looked-after children in 2012/13, and a five-year, £28.5 million Economic Infrastructure Fund, paid for through the Government’s New Homes Bonus scheme and by borrowing £20 million.

The council said this would be used for transport and road schemes, rolling out free wi-fi across the city centre, supporting businesses, providing job opportunities and tackling poverty. The authority says it will also put money into a closed cycle circuit at York’s Sports Village, modernising council houses, improvements to York Art Gallery and the Theatre Royal and new energy-efficient streetlighting, disability facility grants and developing a “community hub” for people with learning difficulties and disabilities, as well as piloting pay-on-exit parking in the city centre. However, annual grants to the Theatre Royal and York Museums Trust will be cut.

Coun Alexander defended the decision not to take the Government’s offer of a freeze.

He said: “The implications would have included choosing whether to keep libraries, children’s centres and leisure centres open at the expense of funding for vulnerable people and whether to reduce funding for Visit York, which we have not done because we want to promote economic growth. The Economic Infrastructure Fund will be one of the biggest investments in the York economy this council has ever made.

“In tough times, we are working hard to innovate and take the tough decisions necessary to secure the future for everybody in our city.”

Conservative leader Coun Ian Gillies said the budget proposals showed “confused thinking and confused priorities.” He said: “The hardworking residents of York, some of whom have to take second jobs to provide for their families, are being penalised by a council tax increase which will only equate to about £300,000 in a multi-million-pound budget.”

Lib Dem leader Coun Carol Runciman said she feared for ward committee funding and highway maintenance under the plans.

Green leader Coun Andy D’Agorne said: “These service cuts and the loss of people’s jobs are a huge concern, and while it’s easy to say you are going to make savings, some of these savings will potentially increase workloads, costs and inefficiencies elsewhere.”

Budget details greeted with a mixed reaction

Bob Towner, acting chairman of York Older People’s Assembly, welcomed the council’s pledge to secure £1.5million to spend on helping elderly and vulnerable people in York.

Mr Towner, right, said: “What’s commendable is that the council now appears to have fulfilled its commitment to supporting vulnerable people – that’s welcome.

“You have to put your money where your mouth is. It’s no good pledging to protect vulnerable people then walking away from it so this is very welcome.”

• Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York said: “York’s cultural offer is extremely important to the city’s visitor economy and we fully support investment plans for the City Art Gallery and York Theatre Royal. Continual investment in arts and culture is needed to ensure York is able to compete in a global tourism market.”

• Nick Smith, of campaign group York Stop The Cuts, said the budget represented “a serious attack on jobs and local services in York”.

“It will lead to vital services disappearing, and those that are left will be dramatically under-resourced. The budget will disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable in our city, those that use and need these services most.

“These cuts are not necessary. The banks owe us billions from the bailout, but the Conservative Government is choosing to pass the cost on to us.”

The Press - Comment

Budget process leaves sour taste

WE’VE known for some time the City of York Council’s next budget was going to be tough. Today, that is confirmed.

Over the next two years, the authority’s £124 million annual spend is to be slashed by almost £20 million.

As if that wasn’t enough, local taxpayers will see their council tax bills rise by 2.9 per cent in April.

We live in tough times, and there are signs that the authority is at least trying to protect frontline services: no libraries, leisure centres or children’s services will close, for example.

Nevertheless, the cuts will be savage. Something like 200 council jobs will be lost over two years, and there will be savings on everything from “reablement” services to respite care, supported living and elderly people’s homes to street cleaning and road repairs.

There is a lot of detail in the budget documents released yesterday. The real concern is by releasing its proposals so late, the authority has given people very little chance to properly digest the implications and make alternative suggestions. The budget will be voted on on February 14, only ten days from now. That doesn’t give anybody much time to have a say, and raises serious questions over how transparent this whole budget process is.

Comments(86)

R'Marcus says...
4:24pm Fri 3 Feb 12

Let me see, Alexander.
You want us to pay more for less.
A question: are you REAL or some political puppet?