'A plaster on a gaping wound' opposition slams borough council annual budget

A plaster on a gaping wound is how one opposition councillor summed up the latest budget put through by North Warwickshire Borough Council's ruling Conservative group.

And although the Labour group had a friendly amendment urging the council to write to Government accepted, they still refused to back the figures which were approved at this week's full council meeting.

Cllr Jodie Gosling (Lab, Arley and Whitacre) said: "We are at a cliff edge, taking from earmarked reserves to pay into our revenue accounts – robbing from Peter to pay Paul in order to put a plaster on a gaping wound of £1.5m.

"We have known this has been coming for some time and there have been no savings strategy or lifeline of support for the residents of this borough – there has been no attempt to avoid or mitigate or protect our residents from the impact of these cuts.

"Covid has caused many challenges including an additional £500,000 hole in our budgets but it is not just councils struggling this year. It is also a desperate year for many of our residents and small businesses. We need to be able to step up and help them secure the future prosperity of our borough.

"We would like to propose a friendly amendment to help the council fill some of those gaps. We would request that the council writes a letter to Government to request the stabilisation of council budgets by covering the shortfall in Covid support payments and increasing the business rate baseline."

Cllr Jack Deakin (Lab, Coleshill North) added: "We are becoming nothing more than a town council if we continue the way we are going – a town council that empties the bins. If we continue to chip away at everything good that we can be proud of in local government then that is what we are becoming. It is a shame."

As well as approving the budget, councillors also approved a £5 council tax increase on the average band D property in the borough meaning those living in such properties will pay an average of £2,003.77 each year when the county council and police have added their precepts.

Cllr David Wright (Con, Fillongley), the leader of the council, was happy to accept the amendment adding that such an approach had already been made.

He said: "I have to say that North Warwickshire Borough Council has done an exceptional job financially. We have not squandered money – far from it – we have risen to the challenge that has been thrown at us and we have consistently performed way above our weight.

"Cllr Gosling said we should be supporting our businesses and residents – that is exactly what we have been doing. With the Government's help we have received £21m in grants of which we have paid £19m out to help them through these challenging times.

"Our MP Craig Tracey raised the question in the commons about a fairer deal and getting that shortfall addressed and I am waiting for a meeting to be set-up."