The Lib Dem Group on Oldham Council will propose that in this year’s budget and council tax setting meeting (Wed 24 Feb) more money is invested on highway and environmental improvements to make the Borough’s streets safer and cleaner, and that more cash is given to each of the districts so that local people have more say on where money is spent on local priorities.

Councillors Sykes will formally move the Lib Dem proposals and Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance and Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem Group, Councillor John McCann will second the fully costed and scrutinised proposal.

Lib Dem Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, said:

“Labour is proposing that Council Tax bills rise by 2% to pay for improvements to adult social care and a further 1.7% for other services.”

“We support the rise as funding cuts to local government have now become so great that some of our vital services are in real danger of collapse, but we want to see more money spent wisely on some of the Council services that our rate payers most value.”

“Every Councillor has received complaints from the public about the state of our roads, about dirty streets and about instances of fly tipping.  Ratepayers expect their money to be spent on providing quality services in the neighbourhoods in which they live – the Liberal Democrats want to see more funding spent on bringing our roads up to scratch, on supporting a ‘war on waste’ and on devolving more of our budget to local leaders in each of our borough’s districts so that more local services can be delivered in response to local needs.”

The Liberal Democrats are calling for the 1.7% Council Tax rise to be used to:

• Invest £5 million on improving the Borough’s highways.
• Employ two more teams and an extra vehicle on gully-cleaning across the Borough.
• Restore the free Bulky Bob bulk waste collection service to the public.
• Devolve cash to districts and local councillors so they will have £1 million to spend; a total of £50,000 for each of the 20 wards, in addition to £15K councillors have to spend in their wards.

“A 1.7% Council Tax increase will allow the Council to borrow an extra £5 million to invest in our borough’s roads.  Imagine the impact that such an investment will make – the money can be employed wisely on improving roads where there is greatest public demand and drivers and their passengers will enjoy safer, smoother roads and improvements in travel times and road safety.”

The Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor John McCann, said:

“The Liberal Democrats would make money available to employ two more cleaning teams and an extra vehicle to jet out gullies that have been filled with soil and other debris. Such an investment would be a victory for common sense as jetting means that clogged gullies do not have to be dug out at huge expense. This also reduces the risk of homes being flooded and there will be less water and ice on the roads, and in the long-term, a reduction in the damage caused by frozen water to road surfaces.”

“The Liberal Democrats also want to use some of the extra money raised through a Council Tax rise to restore the free Bulky Bobs service. From contact with my own constituents, I know that people were angry when a £15 charge was brought in by the Labour Council and the imposition of a charge has contributed to a rise in fly-tipping. Tackling fly-tipping costs the Council and the ratepayers a small fortune so, surely then it is common sense to bring back a free service for everyone at a fraction of the cost.”

The Liberal Democrats want also to keep the team of enforcement officers up to full strength.

Councillor McCann: “We need to continue to employ the same number of officers to carry out enforcement action to ensure that fly-tippers know that in our borough this activity will not be tolerated and that offenders will always be prosecuted.”

“I would also like to speak out particularly in support of the proposal to devolve £1 million of public money down to our districts.  Despite Labour’s rhetoric, the Liberal Democrats are in fact the party of devolution, but in this instance we want to devolve £1 million down from Oldham Council to local people in each of the districts,” stated Councillor Sykes.

“This would provide the three Councillors in every ward with a £50,000 budget to spend collectively to meet the needs of local people.”

“In Shaw and Crompton, for example, we would use some of this money to commission more services for our young people to make up for the closure of our local Youth Centre by the Labour Council, but it is up to the local councillors of every district to decide what is important to the people they serve.”

“The Liberal Democrats stand ready to accept the challenge of spending this money wisely to meet the needs of people in their local community – do Labour, the Tories, the Independents and UKIP?”

Link to the Lib Dems Alternative Budget Proposals starting on page 493: http://committees.oldham.gov.uk/documents/g5890/Public%20reports%20pack%2024th-Feb-2016%2018.00%20Council.pdf?T=10