Cabinet proposes "best ever budget" for South Gloucestershire

South Gloucestershire’s ruling Cabinet has confirmed its final budget proposals to go to Council on 20th February. The Conservatives say their proposals are the “best ever budget” for South Gloucestershire which will see a whole raft of major service improvements delivered for local residents. The improvements they are proposing include the following highlights:

• Introduction of weekly food waste collections in the green bin making a total of 3 collections per fortnight (benefiting 100,000 homes)
Introduction of the choice of taxi tokens for pensioners and disabled residents (benefiting an expected 14,000 people)
• Introduction of a youth travel concession scheme for 14-19 year olds (benefiting an expected 10,500 people)
• Implementing a major new strategy to drive up attainment at secondary schools (similar to that operated by John Cabot Academy)
• Recruitment of 5 additional PCSO’s to be deployed across South Gloucestershire (the Council currently only funds 4)
• Crackdown on litter with a combination of a new dedicated team to enforce fines and a new team to clear litter • Investment of £300,000 to increase the independence of elderly residents

This would be achieved with 3rd lowest Council Tax rise in the Councils history at 4.5% - despite receiving the lowest percentage increase in Government grant in the West of England.

Leader of the Council and the Conservative Group comment,

“Our budget proposals represent the greatest package of major service improvements for our residents that has ever been considered by the Council. If our proposals go through all our residents will see a direct improvement to their quality of life being delivered by their Council on key issues including; recycling, older and younger people’s transport, school standards, anti-social behaviour, litter reduction and care for the elderly and vulnerable.”

“We would be able to honour the two key promises we made in the election to reverse the previous Councils two highly unpopular decisions which scrapped weekly foodwaste collections and denied pensioner and disabled residents the choice of taxi tokens. We will be able to go much further and become one of the few Councils in the country offering a concessionary travel scheme for young people aged 14-19.”

“We want to emulate the huge success of John Cabot Academy and introduce a pioneering new approach to improve the attainment of our pupils to ensure we get the best possible education and start in life.”

“Responding to our residents concerns about anti-social behaviour and litter we are proposing to more than double the number of PCSO’s the Council funds and recruit new teams dedicated to collecting litter and enforcing fines on those who litter our communities. We have also supported a major investment package for our caring services to deliver greater support for carers and helping more people retain their independence.”

The budget will be debated by the whole Council on 20th February.

Back to News Index 7 February 2008