Council tax will go up for residents across Sefton as councillors met tonight to approve the borough’s budget for next year amid a tussle over how to spend a one-off £650k new homes bonus.
The budget – which included a full 2.99% council tax rise for residents as well as over £3m in “efficiency savings” – was approved at a full council meeting held at Aintree Racecourse tonight, March 3.
Before the budget was approved, conservative and liberal democrat amendments were put forward and rejected – all focused on how Sefton’s £650k new homes bonus should be spent.
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The money had not been allocated as part of the budget plans, prompting both opposition parties to put forward spending ideas.
Conservative leader Cllr Tony Brough proposed the full amount should be invested in parks and green spaces.
The Liberal Democrats put forward three separate amendments, including £200k towards road safety measures, £50k towards the renewal of play equipment and £50k as a one off spend for gully clearance.
Speaking on the road safety measures, Liberal democrat leader Cllr Pugh said: “We’re moving far too slowly in this area and there’s no case for doing important life saving work slowly.”
Deputy leader Labour councillor John Fairclough said it was “one of the laziest motions” he’d ever seen.
Cabinet member Cllr Tricia Hardy said of the New Homes bonus: “We don’t know what we’re going to spend it on as we don’t know what the demand is.
“It’s more prudent to keep it in the back pocket to respond to emergencies as the community bring them to us.”
The proposal for an additional £50k towards play equipment renewal – on top of £200k already earmarked – sparked an impassioned statement from Cllr Paula Spencer who criticised the proposal.
Cllr Spencer said: “There are members of my ward sat in the dark who can’t afford to put eleccy on their meter and they’re talking about a swing.”
Responding, liberal democrat councillor John Shaw said: “I really couldn’t understand where she’s coming from.
“Is she attacking the budget as a disgrace as that spends £200k on play equipment when people are in dire poverty or is she saying that £200k is okay but £250k is disgraceful?”
Cllr Spencer said she thought there were some members of the council who “don’t understand poverty” and the issues people faced.
All the amendments were rejected following votes with council leader cllr Ian Maher dismissing them as a case of “new homes bonus tennis” and political point scoring in anticipation of May’s elections.
Councillors then voted to approve the borough’s main budget, meaning residents across Sefton will now find their council tax bills going up by around £40 per year from April.
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