Decision on budget (From Gazette Series)

Decision on budget

DURSLEY has lost out on several high profile regeneration schemes after district councillors agreed on a tight budget for the forthcoming year.

The town was set to receive £140,000 funding for a variety of planned schemes including new paving around the town hall but at Stroud District Council's budget meeting held last Thursday, the schemes were given the thumbs down.

Money will not be allocated to the projects until at least 2007/08 after cross-party councillors voted in favour of the budget proposed for the next financial year by the Conservative cabinet.

At the meeting Dursley town councillor Brian Marsh and district councillor for Cam West Dennis Andrewartha expressed their frustration at the budget.

Another blow for Dursley and district residents was the cut in the cash for first-time property buyers and families on low incomes. They were set to receive help getting on the property market through affordable housing schemes, but the money being made available by the council has now been halved.

The original provision was set at £1,500 but this has since been slashed to £870.

Cllr Hilary Fowles (Lab, Dursley) said she was being ever more frustrated with the situation.

She said: "We have got young people who cannot move out of their parents' because houses are too expensive.

"People are living in overcrowded, unacceptable accommodation."

Cllr John Jeffreys, cabinet member for housing, reassured the council that everything was being done to relieve the housing problem.

He said: "I am certainly not going to avoid this issue. It is a key priority for the whole country but we cannot solve this problem without the help of central Government.

"I will gladly join anyone to lobby Government to keep the assets of the local council in the local community."

The lack of council house sales was blamed for the downturn in the council's revenue, forcing the tight budget.

Cllr Chas Fellows, chairman of the cabinet and council leader, said: "Cabinet approved the Capital Programme and funding in July 2005. Since this date it has become apparent that the sales of council houses have fallen more since 2004/05 than had been predicted with a substantial shortfall in funding over the capital programme."

However, the budget did provide some good news. Following the ever-growing success of SDC's Neighbourhood Warden scheme, money would be ploughed into funding another warden for the region.

Cllr David Wride (Con, Vale) said: "The scheme plays an important part in reducing crime and the fear of crime in the community and we would like to propose another warden next year."