Conservatives Vote Against Liberal Democrat Budget Amendments
The Liberal Democrats at West Northamptonshire Council presented 8 fully costed budget amendment proposals at the full council meeting last week.
Cllr Sally Beardsworth, Leader of the group said, "We always take the time and opportunity to present some alternative budget ideas to the council before it is agreed for the next financial year, and in the past we have had several successes, including retaining financing for a supported bus service across our area and free parking on Saturday morning (until 10:30am) to accommodate the Park Run and Open Water Swimming in Brixworth Country Park. On this occasion, sadly purely for political reasons, we failed to get anything across the line".
Councillors presented a range of proposals which included additional investment in our Local Plan preparation to boost policies for agrovoltaics (growing food alongside solar farms on agricultural land), tightening polices to ensure the use of solar panels on any new build warehousing, using open car parks to create canopy solar use, the investment in a family hub in Northampton’s Eastern District (an area which continues to feature as one of the highest on the deprivation index), support for our market towns and primary service villages to get any empty retail units open and generate rural growth, as well as proposing some cuts to Special Responsilbilty Allowances for Councillors.
Cllr Rosie Humphreys says: “Our proposals to reduce the Special Responsibility Allowances for Chairs and Vice Chairs of committees would represent much better value for money for the taxpayer. The current levels of these allowances are over generous given the actual extra work and time required by these roles. Councillors who Chair or Vice Chairs are overpaid for what they do, when it’s the salaried officers who do the significant work to administer committees.”
The group also proposed for further investment in children’s safeguarding, liaison and education with schools. “Tragically, a young person in my ward took their own life just over a year ago, and the current guidelines ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024’ focuses on mental health issues but makes no reference to suicide” says Cllr Jonathan Harris, Deputy Leader of the Group at Council. “We are pushing for these guidelines to be updated but in the meantime believe that the council could be doing more to support schools and colleges on safeguarding issues”.
The final proposal was for additional capital investment of £20 million to purchase property for the council’s social housing portfolio. Cllr Carl Squires continues, “Our housing list continues to grow and performance for new build social housing projects continues to fail abysmally with just 7 new homes being built in the first half of this year. We have also seen fundamental failures with Northamptonshire Partnership Homes. Thatcher’s ‘time bomb’ (Right to Buy Scheme) has largely led to these problems over the last forty years and providing decent homes to those who are unable to buy one considerably improves their life chances”. Now, more than ever, we need progressive Liberal Democrat voices through more councillors being elected.
Elections for the next four year term of West Northants Council takes place on the 1st of May. If you can help us in any way, whether this be through donations, canvassing, delivering our literature or in any other way, please do get in touch.