I WOULD like to respond to the letters from Geoff Cooper, Gordon Cann and Alan Gerault (Daily Echo, February 22).

All three of your correspondents are frequent critics of Bournemouth Council but I am surprised at their strength of feeling given the Council’s budget performance which sets it apart from most other Unitary Authorities up and down the country.

It was certainly never my intention to ‘attack’ the police or the fire service and I do not believe that I have done so. The budgets and operation of the police and fire service are not under the control of the Council and we just collect their taxes on their behalf.

What I have said is that both services should look more closely at cutting costs and keeping their share of the Council Tax at the lowest possible level. Bournemouth Council has cut its Council Tax for the coming year and this has been made possible by the savings that we have been making since 2007, amounting to over £35 million.

We are also putting more money into the things that local residents tell us matter most to them, as well as a further £6 million this year towards Adult Social Care and Children’s Services which together now account for over 60 per cent of the Council’s Budget.

Bournemouth is well placed for the future and front line services have been protected despite a reduction in our government grant of over a third. Keeping Council Tax bills frozen and making sure that money goes to those most in need is the priority of this Council, with any other funding going towards kick starting the Bournemouth economy and helping to grow more jobs and provide decent homes for local people.

CLLR JOHN BEESLEY, Leader of the Council