Small changes to stop savage cuts

DUNDEE City Council’s Liberal Democrat councillors insist the city’s threatened facilities – Caird Park golf course, Mills Observatory, Charleston and Arthurstone libraries and Broughty Ferry Castle can all be saved.

They also make clear that supported bus services and the sheltered shoppers’ bus can also be saved from the axe, with controversial new on-street parking charges in Broughty Ferry dropped.

The Lib Dems say every one of the possible cuts the Leisure and Culture Dundee Board have highlighted can be avoided if their budget plans are adopted.

Group leader Councillor Fraser Macpherson said: “The Dundee public would be outraged if two libraries closed, Caird Park golf course was lost and the Mills Observatory and Broughty Ferry Castle were shut.

“However, we hope the other two groups on the council will agree with our analysis that it is perfectly possible to find the necessary additional funding to keep these vital facilities open.

“We also think it would be the cruellest cut of all to take the sheltered tenants’ shoppers’ bus and supported bus services away.”

Their budget proposals include uplifting £500,000 additional funding for Leisure and Culture Dundee earmarked by council officers in the base budget with an additional £620,000 using Covid reserves.

The proposals also include £156,500 to allow Dundee City Council to promote new bus contracts for the shoppers’ bus and services 204, 206 and 236, which the SNP administration proposes to axe from March 31.

The Lib Dem budget amendment also sees proposals to improve Dundee’s pavements and roads and also invest in new capital equipment to tackle pothole repairs more robustly.

They also propose to reinstate the 39 posts previously cut by the SNP administration in the street cleaning and rapid response team since 2015, along with creating new posts to maintain Dundee’s parks and open spaces, animal control and forestry and add to the community safety warden and countryside ranger staff resource.

To pay for this, the Lib Dems have identified a large range of small savings across the council in areas like equipment and furniture, car allowances, travel and subsistence and also hospitality.

This would include scrapping the second civic vehicle and removing alcohol purchases.

Mr Macpherson concluded: “We have a large series of alternative savings to balance the budget without impacting on vital services.

“We have listened carefully to the issues our constituents are raising and feel our proposals are fair and deliverable.”

Mr Macpherson.