Conservatives budget amendment 'restores pride' to BCP

The group said there has been “significant degradation” over the past 12 months and that the proposed budget by the Three Towns Alliance administration “offers little in the way of investment”. 

Two amendments have been put forward by the party and leader of the opposition Phil Broadhead, including tripling the town centre improvement fund to £1m and reallocating £160k of “lost income” from the cancellation of the bypass car park sale into CSAS officers. 

Their amendments would include saving the air festival for another year with “one-off funding” as well as providing £150k for in investment and upgrades for the play parks. 

Phil Broadhead (Image: Daily Echo)

As part of the second amendment, the Conservatives have looked at “protecting our most vulnerable”, including deferring the day centre closures, £300k of mental health support in schools and creating a £100k youth centre fund. 

Cllr Broadhead, said: “Despite continued promises from this administration to ‘live within its means’, the budget this year is predicated on use of £25m of reserves suddenly found from a surplus in the council’s Business Rates Fund.  

“However, instead of using some of that money to address the very real concerns from residents across BCP, they are spending it instead on warped priorities – including a £1/2m new climate fund, £4m on creating an entirely new regeneration team and a so called £5.6m ‘optimism bias contingency’. 

John Beesley

“Our amendments, one focusing on restoring pride to BCP and the other protecting our most vulnerable, address the lack of vision and offer plans for investment in range of issues.” 

He added: “We hope that this package of investment into areas that residents really care about will secure cross party support, especially since they require no new funding sources or cuts elsewhere. 

“Now is the time to come together to focus on the future in a positive way.” 

Shadow portfolio holder for finance John Beesley added: “Never in the five years of BCP’s history have we seen an oddly named ‘optimism bias contingency’, and certainly never one which amounts to an eye-watering 13.8 per cent of the planned savings.  

“Reading between the lines, this fund could easily be redirected in-year to other priorities, such as the administration’s promise to implement default 20mph speed limits across BCP.  

“We think it’s important instead to use these funds where they’re most needed, rather than having a £5m slush fund sat in the corner for tomorrow.”