Hounslow Tories fail to move fast enough on Climate Change - Dakers

12.00.00am GMT Wed 7th Mar 2007

Lib Dem leader Cllr Andrew Dakers said that many of the final cuts were too last minute, leading to a lack of proper scrutiny of proposals, and that measures to tackle climate change were not being put in place fast enough

At last night's budget and council tax setting meeting the Liberal Democrats spoke out against the coalition administration's final budget and tax package. The group, which had supported many of the savings and cuts brought forward in previous months, as well as the goal of zero or low council tax increases, recorded its dissatisfaction by casting two votes against the budget and two abstentions. Group leader Cllr Andrew Dakers said that many of the final cuts were too severe and too last minute, leading to a lack of proper scrutiny of proposals, and that measures to tackle climate change were not being put in place fast enough.

Cllr Andrew Dakers said:

"We support the Hounslow Plan. We support the administration's aspiration of zero or extremely marginal increases in the unreformed council tax. However this final package of budget proposals is too severe and has not been properly considered through the council's scrutiny process.

"This is why we are not supporting cuts by 25% of Hounslow Council's grant to the Watermans Arts Centre and £200k reductions in the annual payment to CIP - the borough's leisure, libraries and parks service provider. Some of the additional cuts are liable to hit the most vulnerable in our community.

"Whilst we recognise the work that the new administration is continuing or initiating to tackle climate change we do not believe these actions anywhere near reflect the size of the challenge before us. However we are encouraged by the statement of in principle support received from the administration for the Liberal Democrat group proposals that the borough should employ a cycling officer, energy manager and sustainable food marketing manager at Western International Market. This must be coupled with baseline assessments of the council's CO2 emissions and wider community's ecological footprint.

"We will continue to work constructively with the administration to determine how these posts can be introduced in a budget neutral manner."

ENDS