Liberal Democrats in North Yorkshire today attacked the Tory County Council for proposing a council tax increase higher than that which they consulted residents on.

North Yorkshire County Council held consultations on a council tax rise of 2.5%. But today the Conservative-dominated Executive of the Council voted to recommend a 2.94% increase. This would generate an extra £1 million to pay for road repairs following the recent snow.

This will result in the County Council element of Council Tax bills going up by £30.18 a year for Band D properties.

Knaresborough Councillor Bill Hoult, Leader of the Liberal Democrats at County Hall, comments:

“What is the point of consulting residents and then ignoring what they say?”

“The council consulted on a 2.5% rise. Few people who responded said it should be a higher rise than that.”

“This is a snow tax from the Tories. We all know the bad weather caused problems but the Tories could meet the extra costs from the £15 million the Council has stashed away in reserves.”

“Ordinary taxpayers are struggling with their finances and are right to ask why, with £15 million spare, the Council wants even more of their hard earned cash to put into their coffers.”

The Audit Commission has said that councils need to review the value for money of their spending on magazines and newspapers. Liberal Democrats in North Yorkshire fully support the Commission’s findings and will ask the Tory County Council bosses to do this.

In a report published last weekend, the independent body said that “councils need to assure themselves of the quality of their communications and the value of their communication spending.”

North Yorkshire spends £500,000 a year on a monthly newspaper, the “North Yorkshire Times”. This is well above the national average, which is around £68,000. Only 14% of councils put out newspapers or magazines 10 or more times a year.

Knaresborough Councillor Bill Hoult, Leader of the Liberal Democrats at County Hall, comments:

“The Audit Commission is right to call for a review of the value of council newspapers.”

“North Yorkshire’s spending on its newspaper is way out of step with most of the country.”

“In a time of recession, the Tories need to be asking serious questions about whether we can afford this.”

A few days before the Harrogate Woodfield by-election the Tories were claiming that it was a “cliffhanger” between their candidate and the Liberal Democrats. Greta Knight responded by turning it into a “landslide” victory for the Liberal Democrats, capturing a stunning 62% of the votes cast.
The full result was:

Harrogate Borough Council, Woodfield Ward, 7 January

Liberal Democrat (Greta Knight)   688 (Elected)
Conservative  246
BNP     92
Labour     73

Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative.

Greta comments:

“All credit must go to those electors who turned out to vote in such appalling conditions and of course to the fantastic team of helpers that worked so hard to make this victory possible. My thanks to each and every one of you.”

Claire Kelley, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, comments:

“This is a tremendous result and a tribute to Greta’s standing in the local community, so many of whom came out to vote in conditions that were positively Arctic! Greta will be a excellent addition to the Liberal Democrat Group on the Harrogate Council and an excellent councillor for the people of Woodfield.”

This win deprives the Harrogate Tories of their overall majority on Harrogate Borough Council, which means that they will need to rely on Independents from Ripon to continue in control of the Borough Council.

Liberal Democrat representatives on North Yorkshire Fire Authority have slammed Labour and Conservative Councillors for voting in favour of a 2% increase in the Fire Authority element of Council Tax, despite being told a 1.1% increase would be enough. 

Fire Service finance chiefs told Councillors that a 1.1% increase in the Fire Authority element of Council Tax would deliver a balanced budget for 2010/11, with reserves of almost £4.8m to cover unforeseen circumstances.

However, Labour and Conservative Councillors voted together, preferring to assume a 2% increase when the budget goes out to public consultation.

The move came despite more than £500,000 of expenditure, due for 2010/11, being moved forward into this year to use up an under spend from the 2009/10 budget.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Caroline Seymour, who represents North Yorkshire on the Fire Authority, said there was no justification for a rise above 1.1%.

She said: “The budget presented by Fire Service Officers provides for an extra £800,000 from this years budget, £250,000 of which is not currently committed to anything specific.”

“There is enough extra money available, especially given that more than £500,000 that was due to be spent next year has been moved to this year’s budget.”

Councillor Seymour continued:

“In this time of economic hardship for many ordinary families, public bodies ought to show more restraint. The Fire Authority is in pretty good shape financially and I can’t see a reason why there should be a higher than 1.1% rise in Council Tax.”

“These proposals will now go out for consultation and I would encourage residents to make sure they have their say.”

Liberal Democrats in North Yorkshire have welcomed the support of a Tory Shadow Cabinet member over the row about the North Yorkshire County Council’s free news sheet, the North Yorkshire Times. Read the rest of this entry.

Liberal Democrats at North Yorkshire are appalled that improving gypsy and traveller sites across the County will cost more than twice as much as the Tory Council originally estimated. Read the rest of this entry.

North Yorkshire Liberal Democrats:

On the day Parliament debates whether or not to sign up to the 10:10 Campaign, the Liberal Democrat Group on North Yorkshire County Council has today signed up to the movement. Read the rest of this entry.

County Councillor Bill Hoult, Leader of the Liberal Democrats at North Yorkshire County Council, hailed a u-turn on tendering rules for Council contracts as “a return to common sense” at a recent council meeting. Read the rest of this entry.

Liberal Democrats on North Yorkshire County Council are concerned about the failure of the Conservative-run council to adequately promote adult learning courses.

The number of adult learners in the county has gone down this year, and Lib Dems fear it is due to over-reliance on the North Yorkshire Times, the council’s publicity paper, to promote courses.

Lib Dem Councillor Keith Barnes (Harrogate Oatlands) demanded answers at yesterday’s meeting of the council.

Councillor Barnes said:

“Tories say that it is the economic climate that is to blame, but an independent sector provider of adult education has told me that business is booming. Clearly it is the council’s marketing that has failed.”

“In an attempt to save money the Tories have relied on the NY Times to advertise courses. Perhaps it is not as widely read as the Tories like to think.”

“I hope that the council will not adopt the easy way out – by stopping courses.”

Liberal Democrats on North Yorkshire County Council are disappointed that the Conservative-run authority today failed to back a campaign aimed at driving forward cuts in the authority’s carbon emissions.

Councillor Bill Hoult (Knaresborough), Liberal Democrat Group Leader at County Hall, submitted a motion to the Council meeting calling on the Council to sign up to the “10:10 Campaign” to reduce carbon emissions.

The 10:10 campaign calls on individuals, businesses and other organisations to work towards a 10% cut in carbon emissions in 2010.

The campaign aims to show world leaders that there is public support for dramatic cuts in global carbon emissions, in the hope of encouraging an international agreement at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which meets in Copenhagen in December.

But the ruling Tories, backed by Labour and Independents, put in an amendment saying that the Council would “fully support” the campaign, but not join up.

Councillor Hoult said:

“I am very disappointed at the response by the Tory ruling group, when other councils, of all parties, right across the country, are signing up to try to achieve these reductions. If they “fully support” the campaign, why not join up?”

“It is important for local authorities, which are directly elected by the people in their area, take a lead on raising the profile of the need not only to reduce energy use, but to protect scarce resources.”