Labour’s alternative budget

Widening selective licensing, increasing on-street parking prices and leaving funding for a bridge at Fletton Quays these are all proposals put forward by the Labour group on Peterborough City Council for its alternative budget.

Labour’s proposals were released a fortnight before the Conservative-run council’s budget is voted on. The highlights are:

• Bringing refuse and street collections ‘in-house’ so it is run by the council and not an outside organisation

• Cutting the special responsibility allowances earned by senior councillors, including cabinet members and chairs of scrutiny committees, by £50,000

• A five per cent increase in on-street car parking prices, with officers also believing they can find £20,000 of efficiency savings

• Extending the scheme for landlords to require licences for their properties (selective licensing). Hampton and Ravensthorpe have been suggested as two possible places which could become selective licensing areas

• Funding to deliver/test verge parking measures

• Removing the £39,000 terrorism insurance and cutting the council’s communications budget by £30,000

• Investing £6 million to use empty buildings as temporary accommodation. The costs are expected to be recovered through rental income.

A commitment to fund