“A Peoples Budget for a Peoples Council” Oldham Liberal Democrats set out alternative plans for council spending
Oldham Councils’ Liberal Democrat Opposition Group have set out their alternative spending plans during a crucial vote at Oldham’s Full Council. (Wed 28/02).
The Liberal Democrat amendment to the ruling Labour Group’s budget contained plans to invest in parks and green spaces, more money for road maintenance and pavement repairs and investment in youth services. In addition to serious capital spending (£1M+ in year one) in the districts not in Oldham Town Centre
Leader of Oldham Liberal Democrats councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “Our budget plans are relentlessly focused on delivering safer streets, maintaining our parks and green spaces; and funding youth services.”
“We have presented a People’s Budget for a People’s Council. Because we have listened to what residents tell us they want to see.”
The Liberal Democrat proposals were blocked by the ruling Labour Group at Wednesday’s Full Council meeting.
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and spokesperson for Finance councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said, “Under Labour’s proposals, the council’s obsession with Oldham Town Centre will continue at the expense of all the districts, towns and villages that make up our Borough. Every corner of Oldham deserves investment and opportunity, and Liberal Democrats have a plan to deliver that through targeted spending in every area.”
The Liberal Democrats will fund their proposals by cutting “wasteful spending” from Labour’s existing budget.
Councillor Sykes said, “These are challenging times. When the council spends our money, every penny available should be going into the services that our residents rely on. We have identified more than £300,000 of wasteful spending in Labour’s proposals and Liberal Democrats think that money would have been much better spent on our roads, our parks and our youth services.”
“If we had had more than the dozen or so days we had to look at proposals I am sure we could have done a lot more,“ he added.