Originally published @ 12:22 am, Sun 7th Feb 2010
Having received front-page coverage for the announcement of the roads mtce. programme in Derbyshire, South Derbyshire Tories then voted down a package of measures including £500,000 for tackling potholes across the county. Instead, the Tories pressed on with a budget that included £4 million for moving an existing library in the Tory leader's own ward. And despite public pleas for investment in school buildings from their portfolio holder, Tories also voted down the provision of two temporary science classrooms for William Allitt school in Swadlincote.
DERBYSHIRE'S LOST OPPORTUNITY BUDGET
There were angry exchanges in the council chamber at Matlock ... during the meeting to set the County Council's 2010-11 budget. Tory councillors were accused of complacency towards the effects of the recession and the aftermath of the recent bad weather on the roads. Proposals by the Labour group to: - tackle youth unemployment - help struggling community groups - repair the roads after the winter ravages - bring in tourist money to the north east of the County were rejected outright by the ruling Tory administration, even though they could be easily accommodated within the 1.5% rise in council tax proposed. At the same time, the Conservatives supported a £4 m pet project in the Leader’s home town of Ashbourne to relocate the library, despite impassioned pleas by their own education chief, Cllr Mike Longden, for more cash to repair and modernise schools. Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Anne Western (Barlborough and Clowne), argued that £2 million allocated for contingencies could instead could be spent on alleviating the effects of the recession by increasing apprenticeships for young people who were struggling to find work. She also argued for £500,000 to enable Councillors to support community groups for older people and carers and help tackle health inequalities. The Tories also had a bumpy ride after opposing a one off payment of £500,000 to Highways in order to mend the damage caused by the bad weather over the winter period, for example, pot holes. Proposals to support Creswell Crags bid for UNESCO World Heritage status were also knocked back, whereas the Derwent Valley World Heritage site was allocated £150,000 funding. Deputy Leader of the Labour Group and Shadow Cabinet member for Education, Cllr Alan Charles (Killamarsh), proposed that £6.4 m allocated for Ashbourne library and the Records Office should be postponed for a year and the money diverted to tackle essential works required in Derbyshire schools. (List in notes) Derbyshire County Council has received the second highest increase in Government funding of any county council for 2010/11and the Conservatives inherited a healthy financial position from the previous Labour administration, thus allowing them to keep the Council Tax increase at a relatively modest level of 1.5%. Though all these measures could be accommodated within the proposed budget, and without further burden on the Derbyshire taxpayer, the Conservatives decided instead to add to the County Council's already substantial reserves. Leader of the Labour group, Anne Western says: ' There is a balance to be struck between saving for a rainy day tomorrow and helping Derbyshire people with the problems facing them today'
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