TRANSPORT AND TAX CUTS TOP TORY BUDGET BID
Bristol's Conservative Councillors have unveiled their priorities for this year's Council Budget which would see an extra £1 million invested in a raft of transport and recycling initiatives while cutting the
Council Tax by £1.7 million.
Heading up their alternative budget is a 1% cut in the Council Tax (reducing the planned rise to 2.5%) which - coupled with David Cameron's pledge to protect Council taxpayers - would mean a nil increase if the
Conservatives are returned to power nationally.
The Conservatives have set aside money to pay for a referendum on road tolls (to coincide with the local and european elections on 4th June) and will roll-out American-style 'Yellow Bus' home-to-school transport across the city, starting with seven secondary schools in September 2009, with the remainder following in 2010.
An extra £100,000 is to be used to spruce-up suburban stations like Shirehampton along the Severn Beach rail line.
The Conservatives will pilot a return to weekly waste collections in three city wards and re-introduce “waste doctors” to boost recycling rates in areas where the existing arrangements have failed.
There will be a £102,000 boost for the Anti-Social Behaviour Team's work with problem families; abolition of Labour's 'grave robbing' extra funeral fees on bereaved families; and a £20,000 lifeline for Broad Plain Boys' Club, which has been threatened with cuts unless it complies with new equality edicts.
Tory leader Cllr Richard Eddy said: “Ordinary Bristol families are being hammered by the worst recession in living memory and the Council must do everything possible to give them a helping hand.
“Whilst protecting frontline services, we are proposing to cut bureaucracy, axe spin- doctors and ditch politically-correct pet projects.
“We will cut Labour's spendthrift budget by £1.7 million while investing an extra £1 million to improve public transport, ratchet-up recycling rates and tackle problem families.
“Conservatives support 'no say, no pay' and road tolls should not be introduced without the backing of Bristolians in a referendum to be held this June.
“Three years ago, we rescued the hugely successful Henbury School 'Yellow Bus' and we want to roll this out to all secondary schools across the city over the next two years.”
