Stroud News

Council spending plans passed but not without a fight

By Nick Wakefield

2:43pm Friday 27th January 2012

FOUR-year spending plans totalling £2.4 million were approved at Stroud District Council’s annual budget-setting meeting.

Members voted through a package of financial schemes but not without the usual exchange of politically motivated dissent at Ebley Mill last night, Thursday, January 26.

Chief among these was the recommendation to invest £1 million in the Local Authority Mortgage Scheme to help first time buyers get on the housing ladder.

It is hoped up to 50 fledging house-hunters will obtain mortgages via the programme but several councillors expressed concern that the cash would be recklessly speculated by banks with no assurances it would solely benefit new residents in the district.

Cllr Nigel Cooper, cabinet member for finance, stressed the scheme would only be available to buyers in the area on a first come basis and hinted that the funds could be topped up in six months depending on its popularity.

An amendment was tabled by Cllr Tom Williams (Lab, Cainscross) to only make the funds available to housing association and SDC tenants but this was lost on a vote.

The original scheme was eventually carried 29 votes to 18 and is set to be in place by April.

More disagreement centred on increasing council homes and garage rents as part of the government’s objective to align local authority and housing association rates by 2015/16.

Cllr Roger Sanders (Lab, Uplands) argued that the average £5.35 weekly rise would be too steep for some tenants in his ward and Cllr Geoff Wheeler (Lab, Dursley) proposed a second amendment to reduce the increase from 6.87 per cent to 6.1 per cent.

This was again defeated in favour of the recommended action by 24 votes to 22.

Consent to freeze SDC’s portion of council tax at £186.93 for Band D properties was given with less controversy, as was approval the general revenue and capital programme budgets.

Highlights of these include £100,000 to boost energy efficiency projects, £90,000 for homelessness prevention, £120,000 for improvements to car parks and a share of £100,000 for 2012 Olympics and Diamond Jubilee legacy projects.

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