Ahead of the Council publishing the results of its budget consultation, the North Ayrshire Labour Group has given a commitment NOT to support a range of savage cuts proposed in the SNP-led authorities consultation.
The Labour Group says it will reject:
- [ ] Town Centre parking charges
- [ ] The closure of Arran Outdoor Centre
- [ ] A £50 charge to collect Brown Bins
- [ ] The closure of libraries
- [ ] Moving to four weekly bin collections
- [ ] Cuts to classroom assistants
- [ ] Cuts to funding for Eglinton Park
Despite a record 8% increase in the Scottish Parliament’s budget, delivered by the UK Labour Government, the SNP Government in Edinburgh have only increased the Council’s budget by 2%.
A combination of the SNP Government not passing this record funding settlement onto the Council, and the financial mismanagement of the SNP administration on North Ayrshire Council, means that a budget gap of £15million is predicted ahead of the Council’s budget meeting at the end of February. Despite this gap, the Labour Group has said they will reject the worst of the SNP led Councils consultation proposals.
Labour Group leader, Joe Cullinane, said:
“The Labour Group voiced our opposition to the cuts proposed in the SNP’s consultation last year, and following the public’s overwhelming rejection of them we certainly haven’t changed our mind.
“Labour Councillors simply won’t support any budget that includes any of these savage cuts to services or the introduction of damaging new charges like town centre parking charges.”
The Council’s newest Councillors backed their groups decision.
Kilwinning’s Mary Hume said:
“Kilwinning businesses have been at the forefront of opposing the SNP’s parking charges both now and in 2023 when it was last defeated. My Labour colleagues and I will once again back them by keeping parking free.”
Arran Councillor Charles Currie welcomed Labour’s position to oppose the closure of the Arran Outdoor Centre:
“I am pleased the Labour Group is giving me its full backing as Arran’s Councillor to retain the Outdoor Centre. This is now twice in two years that the SNP led Council has proposed closing the Outdoor Centre - it’s time we got a cast iron guarantee from that it won’t close for at least the remainder of this Council term.”
