Green Champions Welcome Budget
Two of B&NES’ Member Champions have welcomed the environmental emphasis included in the Council’s budget for next year, which was adopted by the Council last night.
Councillor David Martin (Liberal Democrat, Bathwick), who is the Council’s Member Champion for Energy and Climate Change, commented:
“We cannot afford to ignore the environment even in this time of austerity. I therefore welcome the environmental provisions in this Liberal Democrat budget.
“Capital spending on energy efficiency improvements in schools, a fund for biomass projects, resources to start delivering the Retrofit and Green Deal partnership, together with further work to reduce the Council’s own carbon footprint show that we are really committed to investing in the future of the environment.
“These measures will also give economic benefits, delivering financial cost savings and employment opportunities, and social benefits, enhancing community cohesion and improving the quality of life for our residents.”
Councillor Nigel Roberts (Liberal Democrat, Odd Down), who is the Council’s Member Champion for Cycling, added:
"This budget brings £500,000 investment into improving cycle paths, cycle lanes and routes across B&NES. This will be an enormous boost to cycling locally and will help enable many people to choose more sustainable means of transport. The Liberal Democrats are prioritising investment to sustainability leading to fewer cars on the road and reduced congestion.
"This is a highlight of an exciting week for cycling; a week which has seen the opening of the Millmead Road bridge section of the Two Tunnels route and work starting on the cycle route from Lower Bristol Road to Bath Spa University funded by the Local Sustainable Transport Fund."
The budget was adopted by 38 votes to 24 with 1 abstention.
Listening Budget Approved
Welcoming the vote by B&NES Council to approve the budget for 2013/14, Councillor Manda Rigby (Liberal Democrat Councillor for Abbey ward and Vice Chair of the Council’s Resources PDS Panel), commented:
“The Liberal Democrat budget shows that we listen to residents and have prioritised the services which matter most to them, from youth services to weekly bin collections.
“We recognise that the current economic climate is tough which is why we have frozen Council tax for a further year. In fact, there have been no increases in Council tax since the Liberal Democrats took control of the Council in 2011.
“I am proud that this Liberal Democrat administration is making sensible investments to secure new homes and jobs for local people.
“It is disappointing that the Conservative Councillors preferred to play political games rather than supporting this budget which delivers so much for local communities, especially given that two of their amendments were incorporated into the final text.”
The budget was adopted by 38 votes to 24 with 1 abstention.
Useful links
Speeches from the budget Council meeting on 19 February 2013: LINK
The Council's budget proposals for the financial year 2013/14 are available on the Council website here: LINK
The Budget Cabinet was the first to be webcast. You can watch the Cabinet debate, as it happened, here: LINK
Budget vote brings small business loans a step closer: Stevens
A fund to help small businesses get up and running is a step closer following tonight’s B&NES Cabinet vote, says the Council’s Small Business Champion.
The Liberal Democrat administration of B&NES Council voted tonight to adopt budget proposals to be put forward to the Council next week. The Lib Dems are proposing to set aside £60,000 to help people who have not been able to access funding from traditional lenders to set up or expand their businesses. The fund will be facilitated through Quartet Community Foundation working with Fredericks Foundation.
Councillor Ben Stevens (Liberal Democrat Councillor for Widcombe and Small Business Member Champion for B&NES Council) commented:
“Our Liberal Democrat administration is prioritising sensible investment to support the local economy. In these difficult times we must work to provide the conditions for more growth and, ultimately, more jobs for local people.
“This fund will help meet a gap as it is targeted specifically at groups of people with a good business idea but who have not been able to access funding. We don’t have a scheme like this in B&NES at the moment and this fund could help over 70 local businesses to grow.
“I am proud to support the budget proposals which, in addition to protecting frontline services and freezing Council Tax, will strengthen the local economy.”
Lib Dem Councillors Welcome Budget Proposals
The Council is proposing a listening budget which prioritises the services residents value most and protects services for the most vulnerable, whilst still achieving a further year of frozen Council tax, say Liberal Democrat Councillors in B&NES.
Councillor Sharon Ball (Westmoreland, Liberal Democrat) commented:
“Across the country, Councils are once again being forced to make difficult decisions this year. As a Liberal Democrat, I am proud that in this year’s listening budget we are protecting the services which matter most to residents, like bin collections, libraries, buses and services which are needed by the most vulnerable in society.”
Councillor Steve Hedges (Odd Down, Liberal Democrat) said:
“Council tax in our area has been frozen ever since the Liberal Democrats have been running B&NES. I am delighted that the proposal is to freeze tax for the coming year as well. This will be a help to residents across the district who are facing tough times. I think it’s important that the Council looks to make back-office savings rather than asking residents to pay more.”
Councillor Manda Rigby (Abbey, Liberal Democrat), who is Vice Chair of the Council’s panel on Community Resources, added:
“It’s vital that the Council invests in projects which will help to strengthen and grow the local economy. Once again, the Liberal Democrat budget proposals will mean investment in regeneration and development, leading to new homes and jobs for local people. ”
Council Tax freeze for 2013/14 - budget proposal published (official Council press release)
A budget proposal for 2013/14 which freezes Council Tax, protects many frontline services, and invests in homes and jobs for local people will be discussed by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday 13th February 2013.
Listening to local people
Councillor Paul Crossley (Lib-Dem, Southdown), Leader of Council, said, “Our proposal puts people first and communities at the heart of everything we do whilst ensuring our most vulnerable residents are given the support that they need.
“Because the Council has made back office savings of more than £25 million over recent years, delivered balanced budgets, and maintained a strong level of reserves, we are one of the few town halls in the region to propose freezing Council Tax whilst making sensible investment into our local communities. Our £147 million investment programme includes projects for Keynsham town centre’s regeneration, the creation the Bath ‘City of Ideas’ Enterprise Area, and the upgrade of the area’s public transport network.
“The Cabinet is listening to feedback from local people about their priorities. As a result, our proposal keeps free parking at sites where there is currently no charge outside Bath, maintains Recycling Centre opening times as they are, and preserved virtually all of our supported bus services.”
An initial plan for the budget was unveiled in November with more detailed plans for adult social care, education, place, resources and regeneration, skills and major projects debated by councillors. Three Budget Fairs and a public consultation were also held.
Protecting frontline services
One of the Cabinet’s key priorities is protecting frontline services despite a tough national economic situation, demographic change, and rising costs. This means that difficult decisions about the funding to some services and to whom they are provided in the future will need to be made.
Steps are being taken to reduce this impact, such as a voluntary Tourism Levy, and making further back office savings to become one of the most efficient councils in the country. However, to make the budget balance, annual reductions are planned of around £3 million for each of the next three years, which is equivalent to about 1.3% of our total budget.
Councillor David Bellotti (Lib-Dem, Lyncombe), Cabinet Member for Resources, said, “Because of our financial track record, the Council is in a better position than many other councils to reduce the impact on frontline services, particularly for elderly and vulnerable people. The challenges that we face mean that the Council must look at how to make further back office savings and provide services differently in the future.
“This could mean working more closely with community groups and local people when they are in the best position to make a difference to the place where they live, such as through our Community Library Programme or taking over the running of particular public toilets.
“We are also taking steps to ensure that the impact on people affected by the Government’s changes to welfare benefit is reduced through initiatives such as our social fund.”
Key highlights of the budget
Supporting the most vulnerable people and families
- The £260 million over the next three years that we will spend on adult social care must be focused on the most vulnerable people, promoting their independence through improved community services to ensure that residents, where possible, stay at home;
- An extra £3.25 million has been set aside for people with the highest care needs over the next three years;
- £4 million to fund school expansion in response to increases in the local birth rate and population growth;
New places to live and work
Progressing the Bath ‘City of Ideas’ Enterprise Area through a combined total of over £27 million to regenerate key sites along the River Avon with employment space and places to live, including affordable homes;
- Completing a £34 million revamp of Keynsham town centre that will encourage private sector investment into the community;
A better quality of life in our communities
- Retaining weekly bins collections, freezing most car parking charges, and protecting the street cleaning budget;
- Completing the £32 million Bath Transportation Package;
- Investing £500,000 in cycle routes and £500,000 to continue rolling out 20 mph zones;
- £4.9 million in 2013/14 on a combination of road surface improvements and safety schemes;
- £2 million for Odd Down playing fields and cycle track;
- £225,000 in 2013/14 to improve the equipment in our playgrounds with further investment proposed over coming years.
What are the challenges and opportunities facing town halls?
In addition to central cuts from Government, there are also a wide range of other factors influencing the Council’s budget.
Demographic change; Over three years, the local increase in the number of over-65s is projected to be 6.7% and the over-85s the figure is 7.7%. This will result in extra demand for local services resulting in huge financial pressures that must be planned for now. There is also a growing number of younger people who need more places for their education;
- New legislation; Government is passing a substantial range of legislation which has a direct impact on local government, for example the new Universal Credit system and reductions in funding for Council Tax Benefit;
- Incentives for growth; Although business rates will be set nationally, around a third of the growth from new businesses from April 2013 will be kept by the Council. This provides an extra incentive for the Council to invest in projects that create new private sector businesses, like the Bath City of Ideas Enterprise Area. The New Homes Bonus will also provide an opportunity for additional finance from central Government as well as the extra Council Tax raised from those homes to maintain services.
What happens next?
Following the Cabinet meeting on February 13th 2013, the proposal will be put forward for approval to all councillors for public debate on February 19th 2013.
