Sheffield Liberal Democrat leader gives reaction to Labour council tax increase

12.00.00am GMT Tue 7th Mar 2006

Cllr Paul Scriven, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Sheffield City Council

Last week Sheffield City Council voted to approve a council tax increase of 4.65%, over double the rate of inflation which currently stands at 2.3%. To put this in perspective, those living in a band D property will be asked to find nearly £60 more for next year's council tax bill. I believe that this increase is unacceptable and, given the unfairness of the council tax system, the increase will undoubtedly hit the poorest hardest.

Bearing this in mind councillors in the Town Hall have an obligation to keep the council tax increase as low as possible. Unfortunately the increase proposed and passed by Labour last week shows a stark dereliction of duty.

Not only does Labours budget hit the poorest hardest through council tax, it also includes their proposal to raise £1.7m by increasing Home Care charges by 165%, an increase from £3.20 per hour to £8.50 per hour. This means that many elderly and disabled people across Sheffield will no longer be able to afford the care they need at home to live to an independent life.

If this wasn't bad enough the budget passed last Friday also includes a cut of half a million pounds to future street cleaning budgets in the South West and North of the City. There has also been thousands of pounds shaved off the budgets for tree maintenance, public toilets and tackling drainage hotspots.

The Lib Dem group on the council found these measures unacceptable and proposed an alternative budget. By cutting down on backroom staff and highly paid managers within the Town Hall, whose cost has increased by around £20m in the last few years, we where able to offer a budget that included a council tax increase at 1.98% before precepts, below the rate of inflation. Our budget also included the reversal of Labours planned 165% increase to Home Care charges, an extra £1m for 30 more officers on the street tackling anti-social behaviour and more money for our parks, public toilets and dams. On top of this we were also able to ensure every area in Sheffield received an extra £200K for cleaning up their environment.

The budget meeting last week showed just how different the Labour group and the Lib Dem group on the council are. Its clear that Labour in Sheffield are the group of high council tax, waste on backroom bureaucracy in the Town Hall, and passing on unacceptable costs to some of the most vulnerable in our society. Lib Dems are committed to cutting down on the growing waste within the council allowing a lower council tax and extra money for vital front line services.

Its time Labour woke up and realised that the 1980's era of high tax and a fat local council 1980's should not be resurrected. I believe that people want a slimline local council that is committed to driving council tax down whilst committing all its resources to front line services"

Cllr Paul Scriven, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Sheffield City Council.