Opposition groups on Bristol City Council have revealed how they would spend residents’ money. Greens, Tories, Lib Dems and Knowle Community Party have all suggested changes, called amendments, to Marvin Rees’s budget, with some targeting funding to the mayor’s office and the authority’s public relations to reverse several controversial measures or projects like reopening public toilets.
The Labour mayor proposes £19.5million of cutbacks, or “savings”, to plug a funding shortfall and balance the books in 2022/23, part of £33million of cost reductions over the next five years. Mr Rees insists no frontline services will be cut while huge investments are made in housing and affordable homes in the budget, which will be set at a meeting of full council on Tuesday (February 15).
But the plans have come under fire as they include steeper fees for allotments and parking, such as scrapping the 30-minute free stays, charges to install disabled residents’ vehicle bays, a rehab centre closure, “swingeing” cuts to museums and archives, less money for library books and £5.5million less on council staffing, including redundancies.
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The opposition amendments, to the revenue or capital budgets, have all been assessed by council officers and will each be voted on, becoming part of the budget if they receive a majority of votes and are then accepted by the mayor, who could instead resubmit the original or alternative proposals to a full council reserve date on March 2.
You can read what the Greens are proposing here, the Tories here and the Lib Dems here. Here’s what the newly formed Knowle Community Party would do with residents' money:
Former Lib Dem group leader Cllr Gary Hopkins, now one of two members of the new party, has tabled a capital amendment focusing on Jubilee Pool, which is undergoing a community asset transfer after the council pulled the plug on its funding. He proposes taking £280,000 from the £10.6million corporate contingencies budget, such as for project cost overruns and urgent new schemes that emerge, to create a fund that the new operators can borrow from.
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His amendment says: “There will need to be capital investment [at Jubilee Pool] mainly in energy efficiency. There is a very good chance that the money for this can be obtained from capital grants from a variety of charitable organisations but if not money will need to be borrowed.
"We wish the council to make available a fund that can be borrowed from if necessary.” The officers’ assessment says: “These costs have not been identified through a specific energy efficiency review undertaken by the council, however, the most recent condition survey for Jubilee Pool does identify the cost of priority repair works being in the region of £280,000.
“This includes repair costs to update plant machinery and roof works which do have an energy efficiency benefit. Additional funding would ensure equality groups such as older and disabled people who benefited from the warmer temperature of the pool would enjoy the same benefits they had when run by the council.
“We know that the pool is also used by communities on low incomes who are less likely to afford an increase in pricing if the cost is shifted to the customer.” Cllr Hopkins said the friends group which campaigned against the pool’s closure, now a limited company, was working in partnership with the operators Parkwood and Knowle ward councillors.
He said he expected the amendment would gain “wide support” in the council chamber but hoped the loan facility ultimately would not be required because the complex’s community management was pursuing grants from various sources. Cllr Hopkins said: “Doubled membership, full sessions and a trading profit achieved despite high energy bills point to a great future under local management. We must now ensure that the terms for the lease are fair and not punitive.
“Contrary to previous council spin the operators Parkwood have worked well and positively and responded well to the lead given by the friends.” A recent 24-hour “swimathon” saw more than 200 local youngsters swimming 293 miles and raising over £27,000 for future investment.
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