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Friday February 16, 2018
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No. 829
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PANDOR’S BOX Labour deputy Shabir gets budget passed that will hike your tax bill
By Steve Martyn COUNCIL TAX bills will go up by six per cent next year, it was agreed this week. A marathon budget-setting meeting on Wednesday night saw Kirklees councillors decide on spending plans for the next two years, with exConservative leader Robert Light describing Labour’s proposals as a “Valentine’s Day massacre” of public services. The six per cent increase will cost an average household in the district just over £5 more on bills each month. The rise is the largest in a decade and will bring an extra £9.7m into council coffers. The cash will help to pay for the increased cost of social care and cope with reduced funding from central government. The Conservative, Lib Dem and Green parties had all tabled amendments that saw only a five per cent tax rise, but none could gain enough support for their plans. The 32 Labour councillors present were backed by two of Kirklees’ four independent councillors to pass the budget. Labour’s plans include funding for a £14 million sports centre to replace Spenborough Pool – but Heckmondwike’s market hall is due to close, along with Holmfirth’s.
The market hall on Blanket Hall Street, which has space for 24 traders, is largely under-used. Labour’s budget document states: “Heckmondwike and Holmfirth markets have been under-performing for a number of years and so any impact on outcomes in those towns will be minor ... where there is capacity and appetite from the community for a community asset transfer, this will be explored.”
Since 2010 Government funding to Kirklees has reduced by 60 per cent – a loss of almost £200m. The district is the seventh lowest funded out of 150 local authorities in England. This year council tax made up £159 million (54 per cent) of Kirklees funding. The rest comes from business rates (25 per cent), government grants (17 per cent) and a one-off contribution from reserves (11 per cent). By 2019/20 government funding will have dropped even further, and council officials will have £25m less to spend compared to now. In order to balance the books, Kirklees has to rely more on other available funding sources – meaning council tax and business rates have to rise. At Wednesday’s meeting Deputy Leader Coun Shabir Pandor (Lab, Batley West) who oversaw the budget plan, said: “The next two years don’t get any easier. Government policy is shifting the burden to local taxpayers. “There are many councils struggling and many on the verge of insolvency. My heart goes out to them because we don’t want to be in that situation. “Looking forward it might be bleak but this budget has new opportunities. We’re going to re-invest in town centres, communities and support local champions.
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Batley councillor and deputy leader Shabir Pandor oversaw Labour’s budget plan
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