Highland Council budget day: LibDems demand £50 million more for roads and one new school
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Highland Council is set to determine its annual budget valued at £602 million with a £65 million shortfall but in a surprise opposition move – more roads investment and funding a new St Clement’s school is back on the table.
Councillors are set to gather this morning for a full meeting of the local authority to debate cuts to adult social care, hikes in fees, lack of roads spending and the council's response to one of the toughest financial tests it has ever faced.
The starters gun of that debate will be fired by a Liberal Democrat group leader Alasdair Christie who will table an amendment to the SNP-Independent administration budget.
In it the group will call for additional funding to end the decades long wait for the new school as well as add to the roads budget – two hot issues that place administration councillors between a rock and a hard place.
Last September, the capital review effectively cancelled all commitments to building the school due to revised estimates of what was affordable and allocated just £8 million for the year for roads maintenance.
Now the LibDems want members to vote on “designating a portion of the Investment Fund” to fund the estimated £20 million for the desperately needed new school as well as look at how to secure funding for three others.
And then it goes on to “address the lack of roads investment in the administration budget” asking the council to use the same fund to allocate £30 million to “increasing the amount spent on our roads over three years.”
The broad-ranging move argues: “It is imperative that solutions are found to secure funding for the other three schools” referring to Beauly, Dunvegan, and Park Primaries.
So “a report should come to the next possible meeting of council addressing that issue as well as financial phasing implications for St Clements School.”
In an additional clause, the chamber will be asked to demand that the local authority writes to the First Minister “drawing attention to the severe financial plight of the council” that has been “made worse” by the Scottish Government.
It then lists why from the government’s decision to freeze council tax without consultation and the “threats to penalise the council financially if teacher numbers are not maintained.”
It lambastes how the council must “on one hand meet the expectations of government flagship policies whilst on the other hand being told ring fenced funding rules have been removed.”
It adds that “the continual push” for a National Care Service is “causing destabilisation in our communities and workforce and the continual inability to provide an indication of figures for a multi-year grant settlement.”
These factors, concludes, “indicate a lack of partnership working which is the ethos of the Verity House Agreement and show disrespect to the Local Government structure in Scotland.”
The full amendment
With regard to the previous delays in progressing the capital works for the 5 schools associated with the LEIP bid namely Beauly Primary, Dunvegan Primary, Park Primary, St Clement’s School and Tornagrain Primary, and noting that Council at the September meeting approved Tornagrain Primary being included in the Capital Programme. That Council now agrees to designating a portion of the Investment Fund referred to at Section 11 and Annex 3 to start the building of one of the schools with phasing to be reported to the next Council Meeting– St Clements School at an estimated cost of £20 Million. It is imperative that solutions are found to secure funding for the other 3 schools and a report should come to the next possible meeting of Council addressing that issue as well as financial phasing implications for St Clements School.
In order to address the lack of roads investment in the Administration Budget that Council agrees to utilising a portion of the Investment Fund referred to at Section 11 and Annex 3 that the capital sum of £30 million be allocated to increasing the amount spent on our roads over three years, the phasing of which to be considered at a future meeting.
In relation to ELC that Council notes the rate proposed by PVI Representatives in contrast to the amounts in the Budget Papers at Section 10:12 and invites the groups to make a presentation to the next Education Committee in support of their claim.
That Council resolves to write to the First Minister drawing attention to the severe financial plight of the Council which has been made worse through the Government’s decision to freeze Council Tax without consultation, the threat to penalise the Highland Council financially if teacher numbers are not maintained, the need on one hand to meet the expectations of Government flagship policies whilst on the other hand being told ring fenced funding rules have been removed, the continual push towards a National Care Service causing destabilisation in our communities and workforce and the continual inability to provide an indication of figures for a multi-year grant settlement. These factors indicate a lack of partnership working which is the ethos of the Verity House Agreement and show disrespect to the Local Government structure in Scotland.
