Residents in Bristol face a 4.99 per cent rise in council tax and a massive hike in garden waste collection fees after city councillors voted through the annual budget. Controversial proposed pay-and-display charges will be introduced at 10 district car parks that are currently free, despite fears about the impact on high streets.
But four notable changes to Labour mayor Marvin Rees’s spending plans, put forward by opposition groups, were agreed. Both of the Greens’ budget amendments were approved – developing plans for a liveable neighbourhood in BS3 in South Bristol and allocating £4million of unspent money from developer contributions for improvements to parks and streets to help them cope with the city’s growth.
A Lib Dem request was approved to slash £184,000 from legal defences of SEND tribunals and employ more caseworkers to resolve disputes before they get that far and to speed up assessments for children with special needs. And Knowle Community Party (KCP) got assurance that £57,000 from the sale of Salcombe Road Recreation Ground seven years ago would go towards improvements in Redcatch Park, a pledge apparently made 13 years ago that never materialised.
