Kirklees residents face the maximum council tax increase and “cuts” to services across the borough as the budget has been passed for the coming year.
Amid the theatrics around the Amazon warehouse debate – when the meeting had to be temporarily abandoned after a row between the council leader, Councillor Shabir Pandor and Cllr Martyn Bolt (Con, Mirfield) – Kirklees Council’s budget was eventually decided last night. The Labour group’s budget was voted through with no amendments being adopted from those suggested by opposition parties.
This means the anticipated 4.99 per cent council tax increase has now been confirmed. The increase consists of a 2.99 per cent increase in council tax and a 2 per cent increase in the adult social care precept, equating to an additional £1.63 a week to be paid by those living in a Band D property and £1.09 per week for Band A.
When presenting the budget proposals, Cllr Paul Davies spoke of the “extraordinary economic pressures” caused by international and home-grown issues. He said: “We’ve seen interest rates sky-rocket, our exchange rates plummet and costs for energy, goods, services each put pressure on households and businesses across Kirklees.
“The combination of the cost-of-living crisis and extra demands on services means the council needs to overcome a deficit of £43m for the coming year. That’s the stark reality facing the council tonight.
“It’s worth all members of the council taking a moment to reflect on the seriousness of the situation and to consider the implications of recklessness and failure for the thousands of residents who rely on us.
“In the context of chaos and uncertainty, our budget brings stability.”
Priorities within the budget include the protection of services for children, older people and those with disabilities. A £6m bailout has been allocated for Kirklees Active Leisure and £19m “efficiency savings” or “cuts” as they were described by some councillors, will be made across all council departments.
Cllr Pattison described the budget as “the worst budget I have ever faced.” She explained that the council needs to recognise the “rock-bottom” place it is in and added if she were a conspiracy theorist she: “Might actually think that the Tory government has almost achieved its aim of getting rid of local government.”
Opposition parties also presented their amendments. When moving the Conservative amendment, Cllr John Taylor (Con, Kirkburton) said: “This administration is not ambitious enough about the things that matter to people in their daily lives.”
He added that it’s easy to propose “grandiose schemes but at the same time they can’t even get the bins emptied at Christmas.” On the Cultural Heart, he said: “What confidence does anyone other than the cabinet have in their ability to deliver.”
Cllr Tyler Hawkins (Dalton, Labour) spoke against the Conservative amendment and said: “This is the biggest load of nonsense I’ve ever read. It might be a nice thing to put on your election leaflets but if we genuinely listen to this Conservative group this council would’ve gone bankrupt years ago.
“Some of our towns are a good decade behind our neighbours but the Conservative solution is to put us two decades behind. That’s a very novel approach. Ambitious for our borough? What a joke.”
The councillor also criticised the Green’s amendments as a “Pie in the sky wishlist” and described the Lib Dems as “Trying to play both the role of firefighter and arsonist.”
He added: “You’re all far from power in Kirklees and you’re just proposing these wishlists that you get to slap on your election leaflets to say look how great we are and don’t actually take the council budget seriously for another year.”
The Lib Dems amendment included investments in highways infrastructure, free bulky waste collections, incentivising the use of electric vehicles and fast-tracking the review of the council’s Local Plan. Cllr John Lawson described Labour’s budget as a “treading water budget” whilst the administration waits for a change in government.
The Greens proposed investment in renewable energy across Kirklees from KAL’s swimming pools to the council’s housing stock. They also suggested the creation of a council-owned company to provide services such as gardening to residents and funding for active travel.
No amendment was put forward by Independent councillors, but Cllr Lesley Warner (Colne Valley) spoke in support of the Green amendment.
