Caring for People: The Lib Dem Alternative Budget (Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats <info@oxfordshirelibdems.org.uk>

Caring for People: The Lib Dem Alternative Budget

January 23, 2007 11:28 AM

County Council Liberal Democrats are today launching their alternative budget for the next five years. The main points that the Lib Dems feel would make a difference to people in Oxfordshire are:

• An extra £1m a year for adult social care, reversing some of the Tories' proposed cuts.

• Extra youth workers across the County.

• More early help for vulnerable children and support for their families.

• More investment in maintenance of pavements, cycle tracks and roads.

To help fund this, the Liberal Democrats have found some extra savings, in the use of consultants and cutting training costs, and additional income from charges. They also feel that the case has not been made for creating a new highly paid post of a second Assistant Chief Executive. The Lib Dems would therefore not go ahead with this appointment.

The Liberal Democrats propose reintroducing car parking charges during evenings and on Sundays in Oxford City Centre, and also increasing the penalty charges. This would reduce congestion, and deter people from parking where they should not. Any surplus, however, in future years would be used to further improve pavement and roads.

Opposition finance spokesperson Alan Armitage said, "It has become clear during the last year that some of the County's services are suffering from inadequate funding, which means that people are not receiving the services they need. We feel the Conservative administration is not focusing on the bigger problems, particularly those faced by vulnerable children and their families and frail, elderly people. People in Oxfordshire tell us that they find the deplorable state of the pavements, cyclepaths and some of the roads unacceptable. We know that there is a backlog of some £3.5m of repairs just as a result of the hot summer last year. These problems will not go away without some action, and that means more money."

Lib Dem group leader Zoe Patrick added, "We are concentrating on the really important issues facing the County Council in delivering its services. I am proud that we have been able to come up with solutions to some of these major issues and I hope that the Council will listen to us. We can manage this within the same tax levels as the Conservative administration is proposing, as we recognise that the unfair Council Tax needs to be kept as low as we can whilst still providing excellent services."

For more information please contact:

Cllr Alan Armitage 07799 892385