A County For The People: Liberal Democrat Priorities For the County Council Budget

1.18.44pm GMT Mon 6th Feb 2006

Warwickshire County Council Liberal Democrats have released their budget priorities for 2006 & 2007, for local residents in Warwickshire, which are as follows:

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT PRIORITIES

1. Empowering Young People - invest £471,000

This funding will go towards improving the youth service and helping a further 1,500 young people in Warwickshire. Specifically, it will include investment in our detached youth work service to help tackle nuisance youth issues around Warwickshire, and in the development of rural youth work so often forgotten. This investment will help to lift the County's youth service from being judged only as "adequate" by Ofsted.

2. Independence, Well-Being and Choice - invest £1,000,000

Currently in Warwickshire only those with critical and substantial needs are eligible for adult social care. As a result this Council is failing the older population by serving only "some" people well. We will seek to rectify this situation by investing in a new "well-being" threshold. People would be eligible for support where this would maintain their independence. Funding will also be allocated to the "Valuing People" agenda for people with learning disabilities. Overall, this investment will help kick start a key priority area for Liberal Democrats by helping over 2,000 more disabled adults and older people in Warwickshire.

3. Accessibility to the Transport System - invest £200,000

This funding will support the extension of the concessionary fares scheme and will ensure that priority bus services in Warwickshire are maintained. The Liberal Democrats are committed to supporting bus routes as a means of enabling those who are isolated and those who don't have access to their own vehicle, to gain extra freedom regardless of where they live.

4. Art for Health - invest £184,000

The evidence is clear that we can help local communities and individuals by investing in art and cultural activities. This money will kick-start a number of arts based projects directed to helping bring about healthier communities.

CAPITAL INVESTMENT

The Liberal Democrat group have given clear medium term commitments to major projects and improvements in items such as local roads throughout the county, care homes, local initiatives.

The Liberal Democrats have managed to bring forward this year's budget despite once again having a difficult government settlement that in real terms will mean that damage to services will happen, and that some of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities will be hit again.

Cllr Jerry Roodhouse, WCC Lib Dem Group Leader, stated:

" We do not believe in the council tax system to fund local services as it is an unfair regressive tax. We believe that we should have a fair local tax that takes into account the ability to pay. But we have to deliver a budget and work within the law and this we have done. The Liberal Democrats on the County Council are clear about our priorities which are deliverable for £0.89p extra per week on a band D property (4.9% Council Tax. We will be able to deliver the above to both urban and rural parts of Warwickshire thus making sure that we have an ever improving sustainable county - a county for the people"

Jerry continued his statement by saying:

"No one political party has control in Warwickshire so an agreement has to be reached between at least two political groups. The Liberal Democrats are very clear about our priorities for investment. It will be up to both the Labour and Tory groups to consider our budget and then make there views known to us, but we will use our priority headings as a touchstone before reaching any decision"