Rotherham Liberal Democrats call for lower council tax increase telling Labour “It’s time to give residents a break”'

During the full council meeting, which saw Labour’s plans for a three per cent council tax increase approved, the Liberal Democrat opposition urged councillors to vote instead for their proposals.

The Liberal Democrats proposed reducing the basic rate of council tax by 0.1 per cent, and only increasing the precept which pays for adult social care by 1.9 per cent.

The group would save cash by cutting a number of services they say are unnecessary.

This includes a new team to patrol the town centre, a £2m scheme to purchase land and buildings to make way for town centre projects, and removing the council’s employment advisers, who support residents back into work.

Cllr Adam Carter, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group told the meeting: “We believe that councils should be listening to their communities, and doing what their communities want.

“After years and years of council tax rises, we believe that Rotherham residents want council tax to be as low as possible.

“Now is not the time… to be wasting more money, energy, time and priority on vanity projects. We should be focusing on getting the absolute basics right for as cheap as we can to make our lives better for Rotherham residents.”

Cllr Drew Tarmey criticised the Labour administration’s proposal to spend £570,000 on launching a new ‘Street Safe Team’, which would see a uniformed team patrol areas areas such as Rotherham Town Centre, Dinnington, Wath, Maltby, and Swinton to crack down on anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Tarmey told the meeting: “Spending over half a million pounds employing ten people to wander around the town centre… in a high-viz jacket, without the enforcement power that the police have, asking politely if people wouldn’t mind putting their cannabis and cocaine away without any enforcement powers – we don’t think that’s a way forward.”

He called for the council to go further with its plans to offer free parking for the first hour in the town centre, and make parking completely free, stating that it would ‘probably save the hospitality industry’.

“It’s time to give residents a break”.

However, Labour leader of the council, Cllr Chris Read, defended the budget, telling the meeting that residents had told the council via a survey last summer that they would like to see improvements to the town centre, and a reduction anti social behaviour, which he added that the budget had addressed.

“Ten new staff in our street safe team will mark a visible change in the way we support communities, building relationships, working with our police partners, and protecting communities,” he added.

“When we asked people what their one wish for the future of our borough, the top answer was the continued regeneration of our town centre.

“We’ve already halved the number of potholes over the last decade, now we’ll benefit from additional government cash for roads and pavements.

“We’ll double the support we give to low-income families for school uniforms. We’ll continue to fund Age UK and Citizens Advice to support older people residents to access support.”