First Lib Dem budget for Northampton sets firm foundation for the future

12.50.09pm GMT Tue 19th Feb 2008

Leader of the Council Tony Woods said the Lib Dems were putting the Borough Council on a sound financial footing

The first Lib Dem budget for Northampton Borough Council will be presented to the cabinet on Wednesday night. "Our first budget will show that short term crisis management by panic cuts is at an end and the council's finances have been stabilised by the new administration, setting firm foundations for the future", said Lib Dem Council Leader Tony Woods

The Lib Dem cabinet have announced a 'No Cuts' budget. Tory cuts to park rangers, graffiti removal and Christmas lights are being reversed and car park charges will be frozen for another year. Public toilets will remain open pending a full review

In addition, substantial investment in regeneration and planning will mean NBC is better able to deliver real improvements in Northampton over the next few years.

"'We inherited a council in a mess" said Cllr Tony Woods. "The final act of the outgoing Tory administration was to impose £2 million pounds worth of panic cuts to front line services. In just 9 months we have stopped the rot, stabilising the financial position of the council and we are now reversing the worst of the cuts. We have listened to what people have said to us and there will be no increase in parking charges and no across the board increases in leisure charges.

"'The government have given us a miserable increase in grant of just 1.2%. This is nowhere near enough for one of the fastest growing towns in the country. Despite this we have managed to hold the increase in the Borough's share of the council tax to just 4.5%.

"This budget is about planning for the future" continued Cllr Woods. "As we promised in our manifesto, we have conducted an environmental audit and are investing in energy saving measures to save money and reduce the council's contribution to global warming. We are also investing in both the planning and regeneration activities of the council to get the best out of the growth of our town in terms of quality new developments and an improved town centre."

The Lib Dem administration is also putting right the previous Tory administration's shameful failure to properly provide home adaptations for disabled people. £1.7 million of the councils capital programme is to be spent clearing up the backlog in grants for vital facilities in disabled people's homes. "We have inherited this problem from the previous administration. Elderly and disabled people in Northampton were scandalously forced to wait, sometimes years, for adaptations to their homes. We are putting that right as quickly as possible" said Cllr Trini Crake.

She went on, "I am also delighted to announce that we are earmarking £200,000 for improvements to our parks and another £200,000 on work to leisure centres."

"This first budget shows that the Lib Dem administration has stopped the rot at Northampton Borough Council and is setting firm foundations for the future" concluded Cllr Tony Woods. "There is much more work to be done, and we have set ourselves challenging targets to deliver more efficiency savings over the next three years, but we are determined to turn the council around and deliver high quality and value for money services to the people of Northampton."