Council row erupts over openness

A BITTER row is raging over a council’s move to cut the amount of time opposition parties have to object to crucial budget proposals.

North Tyneside Council’s ruling Labour group say the authority has been open to ‘ambush’ from the opposition under current rules, which allow alternative budget proposals to be circulated just six hours before being debated in the council chamber.

But the Conservatives have claimed the new system will hurt their ability to scrutinise the budget and hold Labour to account.

An amendment to the council’s constitution was passed, meaning all budget objections must be submitted two working days before the yearly full council vote in February.

North Tyneside Tory leader, Coun Judith Wallace, said: “A lot of information is received very close to the second budget meeting.

“If this is approved, how can objections and opposition proposals be accurately put together?”

Labour’s deputy mayor, Coun Bruce Pickard, said the Tories’ proposals for this year’s budget had been ‘reckless’ and posed a significant risk to the council’s financial stability, as the authority would have been ‘left at the mercy of unknown demand for adult social care’.

He added: “To give councillors just six hours to review proposed changes to the budget that will have a big effect on residents is unacceptable.”