Council budget set

Today South Gloucestershire Council met to set a budget for the next three years. Last year the Lib Dems persuaded the Tory administration to accept a 3 year budget that largely reflected Lib Dem priorities. The first two years of this year's budget were the same as the 2nd and 3rd years of last year's budget, with added savings from efficiency that the Administration assure us are deliverable without loss of frontline services. Lib Dem Leader Cllr Ruth Davis said, "I would like to emphasise that we are in no way accepting any of the proposals for savings in the service reviews at this time, as we believe they need further investigation and should go through the process as described in the report."

One recommendation that was in earlier papers on the transport review was a proposal to cut some school transport, including that from Westerleigh to Pucklechurch and from Tytherington, Itchington and Earthcott to St Helen's in Alveston.

Cllr Claire Young, who spoke against the proposals at a recent meeting of the Council's Cabinet, said, "I’m glad to see that proposal was dropped from the transport review details provided for today’s meeting but I for one will be watching very closely the £75,000 of savings that are still to be developed.”

The Lib Dems also reiterated their commitment to the introduction of kerbside plastic recycling but said that in the present economic crisis it would be imprudent to move forward with such a project when so many things are in a state of flux. Cllr Davis said, "The indicative budget for year 3 has no allowance made for possible credit crunch issues, as assumptions in the report are based on a credit crunch buffer for 2 years only."