Tories Turn Down Chance to Reduce Council Tax

12.53.36am GMT Thu 5th Mar 2009

The opportunity to reduce next year's Council Tax by £1Million was turned down by West Berkshire's Conservative administration at the Council's budget meeting last night.

The proposed 3.9% increase in Council Tax was forced through by the Conservative councillors against stiff opposition from the Liberal Democrats. They wanted to reduce the increase to just 2.6%.

Introducing the Liberal Democrat amendment, Councillor Jeff Brooks said,

"The Conservatives have proposed a budget which helps no one, but does significant harm to the elderly, shoppers, retailers and all the Council's taxpayers."

As well as cutting a third off the Conservative's Council Tax increase, the Liberal Democrat amendment:

• Would have restored in full the travel tokens scheme for elderly people

• Would have restored in full the free bulky waste collection scheme

• Would have restored the full £30K grant to the Kennet and Pang Valleys project.

• Would have reduced from £1 to 60p the cost of an hours car parking in Newbury and would have frozen at this year's levels all car parking outside Newbury.

The Liberal Democrats also proposed that the Council should invest an extra £1Million in affordable Housing to give a kick-start to the local construction industry.

"With this money we could persuade developers to get going on various developments which have been brought to a halt by the recession", explained Liberal Democrat Finance Spokesperson, David Rendel. "Giving the construction industry a £1Million boost, while at the same time housing many more homeless families, kills two birds with one stone."

"The changes would be funded mainly by using money which the Council has secreted away in various funds including their general balances", continued Mr Rendel. However the balances would not be reduced below the level deemed "prudent" by the District Auditor. There would also be some extra car parking charges for long-stay car parkers.

"Reserves are set aside for a rainy day," commented Councillor Brooks, "and if this recession isn't a rainy day will somebody please tell me what is? We have no right to hoard the taxpayers' money unnecessarily".