Payments to organisations questioned

TORY councillors have questioned ongoing council funding of Valley organisations at the same time as bereavement charges are being hiked.

Two Conservative members raised question marks over council payments to organisations including Ski Rossendale, the Whitaker and Community Leisure Association of Whitworth (CLAW).

Coun Annabel Shipley said: “There is no justification when a loan of £90,000 a year can be deferred with a further £28,000 given on top [to Ski Rossendale]. No justification when £90,000 a year is given to the Whitaker and no justification for £60,000 a year given to CLAW.”

Coun Peter Steen added: “Maybe we should start looking at these costs, and not those of bereaved families.”

But Coun Andy MacNae said there was a ‘fundamental difference’ between revenue and capital spending. He said: “This is a policy which is about reducing revenue costs, year on year costs, that over time is what makes that fundamental difference over whether a council survives to provide services or whether it doesn’t.

“To try and compare it to one-off capital spends, which almost invariably are about that longerterm investor-save approach, is unreasonable and actually misleading to people.”

Coun Steve Hughes added officers were already working hard with organisations to make them self-sustaining. He added: “What planet are some of these Conservative councillors sitting on?”