Liberal Democrats slam Central Bedfordshire Tory Council Tax hike

5.05.00pm GMT Fri 26th Feb 2010

In his speech opposing the Conservative Central Bedfordshire Council budget, Opposition Leader, Liberal Democrat Cllr Peter Blaine, has slammed the average 3% Council Tax rise, which will mean a 3.5% increase for Mid Bedfordshire residents. Services will take a big hit too. The Council Tax increase will be one of the largest in the country. Central Bedfordshire has replaced the County Council (also Conservative) which had the second highest Council Tax of all Counties. Central Bedfordshire's Council Tax will be even higher.

Peter Blaine read from the proposal document for Central Bedfordshire, prepared by the former two District Councils, whose leading members now dominate Central Bedfordshire's cabinet. It said they would: "preserve our high levels of service", "payback re-organisation costs in 19 months" and achieve a council tax reduction of "nearly 16%....(£193 a year)". The reality is quite the reverse.

Cllr Blaine told the Conservatives that the blame lay fair and square with them. They had pushed for setting up the Central Bedfordshire Council which was bound to have a higher Council Tax. It was no use blaming the government. Government grant was calculated in exactly the same way as promised two years ago and the Conservatives should have known Central Bedfordshire would do badly out of the formula. Also, as Cllr Blaine had predicted at the time, dividing the biggest services between Bedford and Central Bedfordshire was bound to be more costly.

Now Central Bedfordshire residents will pay a lot more and get much less for it.

Peter Blaine

Leader, LibDem Group, Central Beds Council