Labour Council stashes the money away whilst cutting key services

Labour councillors have voted to keep on cutting vital services whilst piling up their cash reserves.

Liberal Democrat councillors in Newcastle proposed a series of changes to Newcastle Council's budget plans at the city council meeting at the beginning of March, designed to save a number of popular services such as school crossing patrols, individual litter bins in terraced areas, and current funding levels for parks maintenance and for the city's household recycling centres.

By using a very small percentage of the council's growing pile of reserves (under £2m from over £100m of reserves) the Lib Dems were trying to buy time and keep these services going for another year whilst other options can be explored, but Labour voted down every one of the Lib Dem amendments.

"It's a disgrace" said West Gosforth Lib Dem Councillors Nick Cott, Bill Shepherd and Jackie Slesenger. "The money the council puts away in reserves has almost doubled in the past four years from £55m to £106m - and we think it will be even more than that when the official accounts are published. They can't explain why this cash pile is needed."

You could see more here - Save our services by using reserves mountain, say Newcastle Lib Dems