Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Budget decided after debate
ANGUS Council’s administration secured its spending plans for the year ahead after an ill-tempered marathon budget session.
In a near six-hour virtual meeting, councillors clashed on issues including the controversial £13 million Arbroath active travel plan and a south Angus recycling centre feasibility study.
The Conservative/Independent ruling group had previously revealed plans including a council tax freeze and the suspension of parking charges until the end of the current administration.
And while the respective administration and opposition budgets were broadly similar, arguments raged during the debate.
The 15-12 passage for the administration’s plans will see uncommitted reserves used to fill the £3m funding gap the council was facing after efforts to tackle an £11m deficit in the £288m spending proposals.
Finance spokesman Angus Macmillan Douglas said: “This has been a difficult year for so many people due to Covid-19.
“Overall, the council has done brilliantly in maintaining its services to the citizens of Angus and introducing and managing additional humanitarian services that have provided real value for so many. When facing this pandemic, we have been fortunate in that Angus Council went into it in a stronger financial position than many other councils.
“The pandemic has given us all a rainy year, so we feel justified in using the money in this way.”
He suggested Angus was funded at a level of around £61 per head short of the Scottish average.
“If we were only funded at the Scottish average level we would be receiving an extra £7m for this next year,” he said.
“This consistent underfunding is very disappointing to say the least.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “In 2021-22, Angus Council will receive a total funding package of £237.9m to support local services, which includes an extra £6.7m to support vital day-to-day services, equivalent to an increase of 3.1% compared to 2020-21.”
The finance spokesman highlighted areas including the £25.5m Angus fund in the Tay Cities Deal, ambitious plans for Montrose and 37% rate of council contracts being serviced by local suppliers as good news for the area.
A permanent investment of more than £600,000 in children and families provision was a feature of both budgets.
But the ruling group was accused of “pulling a rabbit from the hat” over plans for an extra £1m for roads maintenance – trumping an SNP group spending plan of £800,000.
New projects in the council’s capital plan include a £140,000 replacement boundary fence at Sandy Sensations in Carnoustie, £120,000 for Arbroath harbour protection; £285,000 for reservoir infrastructure repairs and a near £400,000 vehicle replacement programme investment.
Approval of the main budget was followed by further controversy around an amendment by Sidlaws SNP councillor Sheila Hands, who proposed a £500,000 contribution from the council’s Covid contingency fund for two projects to help looked-after children (£300,000) and a community resilience fund (£200,000).
It led to administration figures accusing the SNP group of springing a budget surprise, five hours on from the coalition coming under fire over its roads spending plans for a similar reason.
Ms Hands’s motion was defeated, but councillors were told the main budget proposals already included reference to further reports coming forward on the distribution of any future Covid support monies.